Zinc Deficiency among Lactating Mothers from a Peri-Urban Community of the Ecuadorian Andean Region: An Initial Approach to the Need of Zinc Supplementation

Abstract

Zinc is an important mineral for biological and physiological processes. Zinc deficiency (ZD) is one of the most common micronutrient deficiencies worldwide and a crucial determinant of pregnancy outcomes and childhood development. Zinc levels and the zinc supplementation rate among lactating women have not been assessed neither in Ecuador nor in the Andean region. We conducted a pilot study including 64 mothers of infants between eight days to seven months old from a primary care center located in Conocoto, a peri-urban community of Quito, Ecuador. The mothers were interviewed and a fasting blood sample was taken to determine plasma zinc levels. The prevalence of ZD was calculated and compared with the prevalence of ZD among Ecuadorian non-pregnant non-lactating women, and the sample was analysed considering zinc supplementation during pregnancy. The prevalence of ZD among the participants was 81.3% (95% CI: 71.7–90.9), higher than the reported among non-pregnant non-lactating women (G2 = 18.2; p < 0.05). Zinc supplementation rate was 31.2%. No significant differences were found comparing the groups considering zinc supplementation. The insights obtained from this study encourage extending studies to document zinc levels and its interactions among breastfeeding women in areas with a high prevalence of ZD in order to determine the need of zinc supplementation.

Prevalence of Undernutrition and Its Associated Factors Among Lactating Women in the Shebedino District, Sidama Regional State, Ethiopia

“… 5 , 6 Additionally, women who do not get enough energy and nutrients in their diets are at risk of facing different health problems including malnutrition. 7 …”

Breastfeeding and Human Lactation

“…Similarly, no relationships were observed between maternal dietary intakes of the micronutrients choline and zinc and their respective HM concentrations [9]. For breastfeeding women in a population with a high prevalence of zinc deficiency, zinc supplementation during pregnancy did not impact postnatal maternal serum zinc levels, which likely reflect HM concentrations [10]. Relationships were noted between diet and HM fatty acid profiles, as previously documented [8].…”

Role of Zinc in Diabetic Kidney Disease

“…Khan et al [ 72 ] conducted a single-center, placebo-controlled RCT, studying the effects of 50 mg of zinc sulfate in addition to oral hypoglycemic agents and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors in subjects with T2D with microalbuminuria. Patients treated with zinc supplementation showed a significantly decrease in microalbumin, serum hs-CRP, mean fasting blood glucose, postprandial blood glucose, and glycosylated hemoglobin levels ( p = 0.0001).…”