Zinc Balance in Pregnant Teenagers

Abstract

Zinc balance was studied during the last trimester of pregnancy in four teenagers. Diets composed of natural foods and mineral salts contained 10.5, 15.0 and 19.5 g nitrogen, and 26, 29 and 32 mg zinc. Urinary zinc was 2 % of daily total excretion and was relatively constant for a given subject. Dermal losses were larger than anticipated, 2.8 mg/day, and constituted about 11 % of daily zinc loss. Fecal zinc was 87 % of total daily loss, and varied within subjects and treatment groups. The magnitude of fecal zinc loss was dependent on the volume of fecal dry solids passed and zinc content of dry fecal material was remarkably constant within subjects and treatment groups. Balance for all subject-treatments was about 4 mg/day.

Decreased Absorption of Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc and Phosphorus by Humans due to Increased Fiber and Phosphorus Consumption as Wheat Bread

“…A correlation between fecal dry matter and excretion of zinc has been observed (28). The relationship is confirmed by our data.…”

Zinc, copper and iron concentrations in the plasma and diets of lactating Nigerian women

“…Recent reports in the literature indicate that the plasma Zn levels of pregnant Nigerian women (Atinmo el al. 1980), like those of their counterparts elsewhere (Halsted et al 1968;Hambidge & Droegmueller, 1974;Schraer & Calloway, 1974;Jameson, 1976), are usually significantly lower than those of non-pregnant, non-lactating women. The present study further indicates that up to the 3rd month post-partum, the plasma levels of Zn and of Fe in lactating Nigerian women entirely breast-feeding their babies are, relatively, still lower than those of non-pregnant, non-lactating women.…”

Zinc deficiency is not a cause for abortion, congenital abnormality and small‐for‐gestational age infant in Chinese women

“…As a logical extension to this observation several workers have investigated maternal zinc levels during pregnancy and have demonstrated a similar association (Cavdar et al 1980a;Jameson 1976;Soltan & Jenkins 1982). But the validity of such a finding based on a single measurement of plasma zinc concentration was questioned, since it represents only a small fraction of the total body zinc and is liable to be influenced by other changes present in pregnancy (Giroux et al 1076;Schraer & Colloway 1974). Meadows et al (1981)…”