Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-v9fdk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T01:20:48.164Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Placental zinc in normal and intra-uterine growth-retarded pregnancies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Ashok Malhotra ,
Susan J. Fairweather-Tait ,
P. A. Wharton  and
H. Gee
Ashok Malhotra
Affiliation:
Granton Surgery, 114 Middleton Hall Road, Kings Norton, Birmingham B30 IDJ
Susan J. Fairweather-Tait
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute of Food Research, Colney Lane, Norwich NR4 7UA
P. A. Wharton
Affiliation:
Department of Human Nutrition, University of Glasgow, Yorkhill Hospitals, Glasgow G3 8SJ
H. Gee
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The zinc concentration of placental tissue and cord blood in sixteen mothers who gave birth to normal babies was measured. The blood volume of each placenta was estimated from measurements of haemoglobin concentration of placental homogenate and cord blood, and, by deduction, the Zn content of blood-free placental tissue was calculated. Results were compared with eleven mothers whose fetuses showed a low biparietal diameter velocity between 17 and 28 weeks gestation and with ten mothers who gave birth to intra-uterine growth-retarded (IUGR) babies. As expected, placental weight was significantly correlated with infant birth weight. Blood-free placental tissue contained about four times xmore Zn (approximately 10 µg Zn/g) than cord blood (approximately 2.5 µg Zn/ml). Concentrations of Zn in blood-free placental tissue were similar in all three groups, but the cord blood Zn of mothers producing IUGR babies was significantly lower than that of the other two groups. Results of the present study suggested that fetal growth retardation in the mothers studied could not be explained by differences in blood-free placental Zn concentration, but that there may be some association between lower cord blood Zn levels and intra-uterine growth retardation.

Keywords

Placental zincPregnancy outcomeIntra-uterine growth retardationZinc
Type
Minerals, Nutrition, Metabolism, Bioavailability
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 63 , Issue 3 , May 1990 , pp. 613 - 621
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1990

References

REFERENCES

Altman, D. G. & Coles, E. C. (1980). Normograms for precise determination of birth weight for dates. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 87, 81–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bogden, J. D., Thind, I. S., Kemp, F. W. & Caterini, H. (1978). Plasma concentrations of calcium, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, and zinc in maternal and cord blood and their relationship to low birth weight. Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine 92, 455–462.Google Scholar
Campbell-Brown, M., Ward, R. J., Haines, A. P., North, W. R. S., Abraham, R., McFadyen, I. R. & Turnland, J. R. (1985). Zinc and copper in Asian pregnancies —is there evidence for a nutritional deficiency? British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 92, 875–885.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Committee on Dietary Allowances, Food and Nutrition Board, National Research Council (1980). Recommended Dietary Allowunces, 9th ed. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.Google Scholar
Department of Health and Social Security (1979). Recommended daily amounts of food energy and nutrients for groups of people in the United Kingdom. Report on Health and Social Subjects no. 15. London: H.M. Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Eaton, P. M., Wharton, P. A. & Wharton, B. A. (1984). Nutrient intake of pregnant Asian women. British Journal 52, 457–468.Google ScholarPubMed
Fairweather-Tait, S. J. (1988). Zinc in human nutrition. Nutrition Research Reviews 1, 23–38.Google Scholar
Fairweather-Tait, S. J., Wright, A. J. A., Cooke, J. & Franklin, J. (1985). Studies of zinc metabolism in pregnant and lactating rats. British Journal of Nutrition 54, 401–413.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hambidge, K. M., Krebs, N. F., Jacobs, M. A., Favier, A., Guyette, L. & Ikle, D. N. (1983). Zinc nutritional status during pregnancy: a longitudinal study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 37, 429–442.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hurley, L. S. (1969). Zinc deficiency in the developing rat. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 22, 1332–1339.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lentner, C. [editor]. (1984). Geigy Scientific Tables, vol. 3, p. 291. Basle: Ciba-Geigy.Google Scholar
Jameson, S. (1976). Effects of zinc deficiency in human reproduction. Acta Medica Scandinavica 593, Suppl., 1–89.Google ScholarPubMed
McMichael, A. J., Dreosti, I. E., Gibson, G. T., Hartshorne, J. M., Buckley, R. A. & Colley, D. P. (1982). A prospective study of serial maternal serum zinc levels and pregnancy outcome. Early Human Development 7, 59–69.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Paul, A. A. & Southgate, D. A. T. (1978). McCance and Widdowson's The Composition of Foods. London: H.M. Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Simmer, K., Dwight, J. St. J., Brown, I. M. H., Thompson, R. P. H. & Young, M. (1985). Placental handling of zinc, in the guinea pig. Biology of the Neonate 48, 114–121.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Simmer, K., Iles, C. A., Slavin, B., Keeling, P. W. N. & Thompson, R. P. H. (1987). Maternal nutrition and intrauterine growth retardation. Human Nutrition: Clinical Nutrition 41C, 193–197.Google Scholar
Thompson, A. M., Billewicz, W. Z. & Hytten, F. E. (1968). The assessment of fetal growth. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the British Commonwealth 75, 903–916.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tuttle, S., Aggett, P. J., Campbell, D. & MacGillivray, I. (1985). Zinc and copper nutrition in human pregnancy: a longitudinal study in normal primigravidae and in primigravidae at risk of delivering a growth retarded baby. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 41, 1032–1041.Google Scholar
Viegas, O. A. C., Cole, T. J. & Wharton, B. A. (1987). Impaired fat deposition in pregnancy: an indicator for nutritional intervention. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 45, 23–28.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ward, N. I., Watson, R. & Bryce-Smith, D. (1987). Placental element levels in relation to fetal development for obstetrically ‘normal’ births: a study of 37 elements. Evidence for effects of cadmium, lead and zinc on fetal growth, and for smoking as a source of cadmium. International Journal of Biosocial Research 9, 63–81.Google Scholar