[Multiple pregnancy and microelements: zinc (preliminary report)].

The aim af the study was to define the concentration of zinc in sera of women with multiple pregnancies during the last trimester and to compare it with the values in normal pregnancies. The study included 12 women with gemini and 67 with single fetus pregnancies. A statistically significant decrease was found in the mean zinc concentration in twin pregnancies--8.1 +/- 1.72 mcmol/L compared to the mean values in normal pregnancies--10.5 +/- 1.90 mcmol/L (p < 0.001). Various mechanisms, possibly responsible for the stated changes, their relation to some complications of multiple pregnancy and delivery are discussed, as well as their prophylactics.