The effect of diet supplementation and addition of zinc in vitro on the growth-supporting property of amniotic fluid in African women.

The effect of diet supplementation throughout pregnancy on third-trimester amniotic fluid growth-supporting activity (GSP) was studied in 100 African women; 32 were given zinc supplementation, 22 each animal and vegetable supplements, respectively, and 24 served as control subjects. No difference in GSP was noted in any of the four groups, the majority of fluids (65%) being noninhibitory. Zinc levels in fluids from African women were much lower than those described for other population groups at corresponding periods of gestation. Although zinc levels in liquor rose following dietary zinc supplementation, these remained lower than values described in white patients. In vitro addition of zinc (up to 153 mu moles per liter final concentration) to 17 noninhibitory African liquors resulted in these fluids becoming inhibitory.