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

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.