Maternal zinc, iron, folic acid, and protein nutriture and outcome of human pregnancy

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 less than 0.02; albumin, p less than 0.02). Low zinc or low albumin were also associated with the specific complications of fetal distress (zinc, p less than 0.002; albumin p less than 0.002). High plasma folate was also associated with the total occurrence of complications (p less than 0.008) and with fetal distress (p less than 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.

Zinc levels in maternal milk: the influence of nutritional status with respect to zinc during the third trimester of pregnancy

“…Though iron (Simmer et al, 1987) and folates (Mukherjee et al, 1984) have an inhibitory effect on zinc absorption, there were no signi®cant differences in the intake of these nutrients between L and H subjects (Table 2).…”

Financial difficulties, smoking habits, composition of the diet and birthweight in a population of pregnant women in the South West of England

“…The intakes of a number of nutrients which have been associated with birthweight, such as iron, magnesium, zinc and thiamin (Mukherjee et al, 1984;Doyle et al, 1990;Haste et al, 1991) were found to be lower among women with more ®nancial dif®culties. However, there was no signi®cant association between dif®culty in affording food and mean birthweight.…”

Effect of genetic polymorphisms involved in folate metabolism on the concentration of serum folate and plasma total homocysteine (p-tHcy) in healthy subjects after short-term folic acid supplementation: a randomized, double blind, crossover study

“…Previously, it was reported that folate and zinc had a mutual inhibitory effect at the site of intestinal transport or absorption (Ghishan et al 1986). It was also reported that women with the highest quartile folate and the lowest quartile zinc were vulnerable to fetomaternal complications (Mukherjee et al 1984). Recently, it was demonstrated that high-dose folic acid supplements were associated with adverse effects on fetal mouse development (Mikael et al 2013).…”