Serum zinc and copper concentrations in maternal and umbilical cord blood. Relation to course and outcome of pregnancy

Abstract

Abnormal serum zinc and copper concentrations in pregnant women have been associated with a number of maternal and foetal complications during pregnancy and delivery. However, the results of previous studies are contradictory and few large scale studies have been reported. In this study we measured serum zinc and copper concentrations in maternal and umbilical cord blood from 500 Danish mothers at delivery, looking for an association between serum zinc and copper levels and various maternal and foetal complications. Preterm infants (n = 30) had significantly lower serum copper concentrations than reference infants (n = 346) (p = 0.01), whereas there was no difference in serum zinc concentrations. Mothers of preterm infants (n = 34) did not differ in serum zinc or copper concentrations from reference mothers (n = 220). Small for date infants (n = 37) and mothers of small for date infants (n = 47) had higher serum copper levels than reference infants and mothers (p = 0.02 and p = 0.04, respectively), whereas there was no difference in serum zinc concentrations. Serum zinc and copper concentrations in malformed infants (n = 14) and their mothers (n = 17) did not differ from concentrations in reference infants and mothers. Serum zinc and copper concentrations in mothers with various other complications during pregnancy and delivery did not differ from values in mothers with normal pregnancies and deliveries.

Serum iron, copper and zinc status in maternal and cord blood

“…Zinc is passively transferred from mother to fetus across the placenta (19) and there is also decreased zinc binding capacity of maternal blood during pregnancy which facilitates efficient transfer of zinc from mother to fetus resulting in an increase level of zinc in cord blood. Zinc is essential for proper growth of fetus and the fall in zinc during pregnancy could also be a physiological response to expanded maternal blood volume (20,21,22).…”

Maternal mineral and vitamin supplementation in pregnancy

“…Serum selenium concentrations in malformed infants tended to be lower than in normal infants (0.55 vs 0.60 mumol/l; p = 0.09), but the difference was not statistically significant, probably owing to the small number [69]. Among HIV-infected women, low selenium status may increase the risk of MTCT of HIV and poor pregnancy outcomes such as low birthweight, small-for-gestational age, preterm birth and fetal death [70].…”

Antioxidant Nutrients in Pregnancy: a Systematic Review of the Literature

“…Preterm delivery was investigated in only two studies (B,B) measuring plasma zinc (Bro et al 1988;Wasowicz et al 1993). No association was found between plasma zinc and preterm birth.…”