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Effects of Vitamin B6 and St. John’s Wort on Maternal Premenstrual Syndrome Symptoms and Children’s School Activities: A Secondary Study

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Jiroft University of Medical Sciences, Jiroft, Iran.
Abstract
Background: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is characterized by physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms occurring before menstruation. This secondary analysis compared the effectiveness of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and Hypericum perforatum (St. John's Wort) in reducing PMS symptoms and evaluated impacts on participants' daughters' school activities.
Materials and Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial (secondary analysis), 251 women diagnosed with PMS were assigned to receive Hypericum perforatum (550 mg/day), vitamin B6 (80 mg/day), or placebo for two menstrual cycles. PMS symptom severity was assessed using the Daily Symptom Record (DSR) questionnaire before and after treatment. Additionally, 150 daughters of participants completed a six-point scale evaluating the impact of their mothers' treatment on their school activities during the same period. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and repeated measures tests.
Results: A total of 251 women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and 150 of their daughters participated in this study. Repeated measures analysis revealed that all three groups—Hypericum perforatum, vitamin B6, and placebo—showed reductions in PMS symptom severity over the study period. Although the Hypericum perforatum group exhibited the largest decrease, the differences among the groups were not statistically significant (p = 0.202). Similarly, while there was a general trend toward improved school activities among the daughters, these changes were not statistically significant between groups (p = 0.363). Overall, improvements in maternal PMS symptoms did not translate into significant differences in the school activities of their daughters.
Conclusion: Vitamin B6 and Hypericum perforatum may be effective, accessible, and low-risk options for reducing PMS symptoms. However, improvements in maternal symptoms did not significantly influence the school activities of their daughters.
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