Maternal zinc, iron, folic acid, and protein nutriture and outcome of human pregnancy
Open Access
- 1 September 1984
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Elsevier BV in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
- Vol. 40 (3), 496-507
- https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/40.3.496
Abstract
Four hundred fifty women were observed during pregnancy and postpartum. Forty-three variables including 12 laboratory indices of maternal nutrient status were assessed. Of the variance in fetal weight and head circumference 9.9 and 8.1%, respectively, were predictable by polynomial stepwise regression of laboratory indices of maternal nutriture. Maternal plasma zinc levels were inversely correlated with fetal weight. The occurrence of pregnancy complications in the highest and lowest quartiles of maternal plasma zinc, albumin, iron, and folic acid were compared. Using data only from the initial blood samples for which the trimester was identified precisely (n = 394), a significant association was found between the total occurrence of fetomaternal complications and zinc and albumin levels in the lowest quartile (zinc, p < 0.02; albumin, p < 0.02). Low zinc or low albumin were also associated with the specific complications of fetal distress (zinc, p < 0.002; albumin p < 0.002). High plasma folate was also associated with the total occurrence of complications (p < 0.008) and with fetal distress (p < 0.002). When all data (n = 713) including repeat blood samples and data from 56 mothers in whom the trimester could not be verified precisely were evaluated, associations between other complications and lowest quartile zinc and albumin and highest quartile folate were identified. Discriminant analysis of data from the initial blood samples revealed that plasma zinc was a discriminator for fetomaternal complications only in women in the lowest quartile for plasma zinc.Keywords
This publication has 17 references indexed in Scilit:
- Effect of oral folic acid supplements on zinc, copper, and iron absorption and excretionThe American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1984
- Zinc nutritional status during pregnancy: a longitudinal studyThe American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1983
- Studies on the Bioavailability of Zinc in Humans: Mechanism of the Intestinal Interaction of Nonheme Iron and ZincJournal of Nutrition, 1983
- Epiphyseal Plate Development in the Zinc-Deficient RatJournal of Nutrition, 1982
- ZINC AND SMALL BABIESThe Lancet, 1982
- Zinc deficiency and anencephaly in TurkeyTeratology, 1980
- On the assessment of zinc and copper nutriture in manThe American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1979
- Is there a connection between maternal zinc deficiency and congenital malformations of the central nervous system in man?Teratology, 1973
- The Effect of Zinc Deficiency on the Tensile Strength of Healing Surgical Incisions in the Integument of the RatExperimental Biology and Medicine, 1968
- Effect of zinc deficiency on parturition in the ratAmerican Journal of Physiology-Legacy Content, 1968