Osaretin James Agbonlahor
Department of Medical Laboratory Services, Stella Obasanjo Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria
Mathias Abiodun Emokpae
Department of Medical Laboratory Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
Poor foetal growth and development has been associated with maternal inadequate or under-nutrition. There is no agreement as to whether dietary macro and micro-nutrient supplementation in pregnancy enhance neonatal birth weight. This study evaluates the levels of magnesium, calcium, albumin and phosphorus in pregnant women at delivery, the proportion of the neonates with low birth weight and the relationship between these essential elements and neonatal birth weight. A total of 300 subjects were enrolled, which included 200 healthy pregnant women and 100 age-matched non-pregnant women (controls). The concentrations of essential elements in maternal blood were measured using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry and colorimetric methods. The concentrations of magnesium and albumin were significantly (p<0.001) higher in women who had babies with low birth weight than those had normal birth weight. Conversely, calcium (p = 0.002) and phosphorus (p<0.001) levels were significantly lower in women who had babies with low birth weight compared with those that had babies with normal birth weight. The levels of measured variables in the pregnant women at delivery were significantly lower (p<0.001) compared with controls. Supplementation of some of these essential elements may help to prevent the delivery of infants with low birth weight. Therefore measurement of these essential elements may be considered important as part of the routine antenatal investigations.
PDF References Citation
How to cite this article
Osaretin James Agbonlahor and Mathias Abiodun Emokpae, 2016. Levels of Some Essential Elements in Pregnant Women and Association with Low Birth Weight of Babies in Benin City. Pakistan Journal of Nutrition, 15: 585-589.
DOI: 10.3923/pjn.2016.585.589
URL: https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=pjn.2016.585.589
DOI: 10.3923/pjn.2016.585.589
URL: https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=pjn.2016.585.589
REFERENCES
- Hernandez-Avila, M., K.E. Peterson, T. Gonzalez-Cossio, L.H. Sanin, A. Aro, L. Schnaas and H. Hu, 2002. Effect of maternal bone lead on length and head circumference of newborns and 1-month-old infants. Arch. Environ. Health Int. J., 57: 482-488.
CrossRefDirect Link - Baig, S., N.U. Hasnain and Q. Ud-din, 2003. Studies on Zn, Cu, Mg, Ca and phosphorus in maternal and cord blood. J. Pak. Med. Assoc., 53: 417-422.
PubMed - Bogden, J.D., I.S. Thind, D.B. Louria and H. Caterini, 1978. Maternal and cord blood metal concentrations and low birth weight-a case-control study. Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 31: 1181-1187.
Direct Link - Elizabeth, K.E., V. Krishnan and T. Vijaykumar, 2008. Umbilical cord blood nutrients in low birth weight babies in relation to birth weight and gestational age. Indian J. Med. Res., 128: 128-133.
PubMed - Elshibly, E.M. and G. Schmalisch, 2008. The effect of maternal anthropometric characteristics and social factors on gestational age and birth weight in Sudanese newborn infants. BMC Public Health, Vol. 8.
CrossRefDirect Link - Fenton, T.R., A.W. Lyon and M.S. Rose, 2011. Cord blood calcium, phosphate, magnesium and alkaline phosphatase gestational age-specific reference intervals for preterm infants. BMC Pediatr., Vol. 11.
CrossRefDirect Link - Fong, B.M.W., T.S. Siu, J.S.K. Lee and S. Tam, 2007. Determination of mercury in whole blood and urine by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. J. Anal. Toxicol., 31: 281-287.
CrossRefDirect Link - Husain, S.M. and L.P. Sibby, 1993. Magnesium and pregnancy. Miner Electrolytr. Metals, 19: 295-307.
PubMed - Kapil, U., 2009. Multiple micronutrient supplements will not reduce incidence of low birth weight. Ind. J. Com. Med., 34: 85-86.
CrossRefPubMedDirect Link - Khoushabi, F. and G. Saraswathi, 2010. Association between maternal nutrition status and birth weight of neonates in selected hospitals in Mysore city, India. Pak. J. Nutr., 9: 1124-1130.
CrossRefDirect Link - Maguire, M.E. and J.A. Cowan, 2002. Magnesium chemistry and biochemistry. Biometals, 15: 203-210.
CrossRefDirect Link - Lumey, L.H., 1998. Reproductive outcomes in women prenatally exposed to undernutrition: A review of findings from the Dutch famine birth cohort. Proc. Nutr. Soc., 57: 129-135.
CrossRefDirect Link - Mutlu, E. A., A. Keshavarzian and G.M. Mutlu, 2006. Hyperalbuminemia and elevated transaminases associated with high-protein diet. Scand. J. Gastroenterol., 41: 759-760.
CrossRefDirect Link - Mavalankar, D.V., R.H. Gray and C.R. Trivedi, 1992. Risk factors for preterm and term low birthweight in Ahmedabad, India. Int. J. Epidemiol., 21: 263-272.
CrossRefDirect Link - Villar, J., M. Merialdi, A.M. Gulmezoglu, E. Abalos, G. Carroli, R. Kulier and M. de Onis, 2003. Nutritional interventions during pregnancy for the prevention or treatment of maternal morbidity and preterm delivery: An overview of randomized controlled trials. J. Nutr., 133: 1606S-1625S.
Direct Link - Muthayya, S., 2009. Maternal nutrition and low birth weight what is really important?. In. J. Med. Res., 130: 600-608.
PubMed - Namgung, R., R.C. Tsang, B.L. Specker, R.I. Sierra and M.L. Ho, 1994. Low bone mineral content and high serum osteocalcin and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in summer-Versus winter-born newborn infants: An early fetal effect? J. Pediatr. Gastroenterol. Nutr., 19: 220-227.
Direct Link - Olatunbosun, D.A., J.O. Bolodeoku, T.O. Cole and B.K. Adadevoh, 1976. Relationship of serum copper and zinc to human hypertension in Nigerians. Bull. World Health Org., 53: 134-135.
Direct Link - Pourarian, S., B.N. Jahromi and F. Takmil, 2014. The relationship between maternal serum magnesium level and infant low birth weight in Hafez hospital, Shiraz, Iran. Iran. J. Neonatol., 5: 1-6.
Direct Link - Purwar, M., H. Kulkarni, V. Motghare and S. Dhole, 1996. Calcium supplementation and prevention of pregnancy induced hypertension. J. Obstet. Gynaecol. Res., 22: 425-430.
CrossRefDirect Link - Sherwani, S., N. Hasnain and Qadir-Uddin, 1998. Magnesium status in maternal and cord blood. J. Pak. Med. Assoc., 48: 32-34.
PubMed - Singh, M., S. Jain and M. Choudhary, 2009. Dietary adequacy of pregnant women of four district of Rajasthan. J. Hum. Ecol., 25: 161-165.
Direct Link - Takaya, J. and K. Kaneko, 2011. Small for gestational age and magnesium in cord blood platelets: Intrauterine magnesium deficiency may induce metabolic syndrome in later life. J. Pregnancy, Vol. 2011.
CrossRefDirect Link - Watson, P.E. and B.W. McDonald, 2010. The association of maternal diet and dietary supplement intake in pregnant New Zealand women with infant birthweight. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr., 64: 184-193.
CrossRefDirect Link