Zinc Status of South Korean Women in the Second Trimester and the Effect of Those on Pregnancy Outcome

Lee, Hyun Sook

Abstract

Maternal zinc deficiency is relatively common worldwide, but its consequences for pregnancy outcome are not established. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of zinc status in the second trimester on pregnancy outcome. Subjects were 248 pregnant Korean women (25 - 28 wk gestation). Cord blood was collected from subgroup of 69 women and pregnancy outcome data were obtained from 185 babies. Anthropometry measurement, dietary intake, and biochemical characteristics of pregnancy and cord serum substances were measured. The subjects were divided into quartiles on the basis of maternal serum Zn concentration; ZnQ1 (< 25 percentile), ZnQ2 (26~50 percentile), ZnQ3 (51~75 percentile), and ZnQ4 (76~100 percentile). Zn groups were compared in terms of various maternal factors, concentrations of cord serum substances, and pregnancy outcome. Maternal serum Zn concentration was 118.4 +/- 35.5 microgram/dl as mean. Intake of Zn was lower than Korean RDA. The rate of Zn deficiency among all subjects was 8.5%. Maternal serum Zn levels belonged to normal range. Cord serum Zn level was about 154.7% of maternal serum level. Intakes of energy, calcium, iron, folic acid, and riboflavin did not meet the Korean RDA for pregnant women by gestational age. The mean birth weight of neonates is 3083 +/- 697 g, of whom 9.1% were of low birth weight (< 2,500 g). Maternal serum Zn level was positively correlated with pre-pregnancy weight, pre-pregnancy body mass index, and vitamin C intake (p < 0.05). ZnQ1 group had significantly lower maternal serum iron concentration and higher cord serum cholesterol than those in other groups. Maternal serum Zn level, cord serum Zn level, and dietary Zn intake were no related to the pregnancy outcome. The birth weight had a correlation with the maternal hemoglobin and albumin concentration. In conclusion, at this study, we could not find the association with maternal Zn status in 2nd trimester and pregnancy outcome.