Relationship between neonatal low birth weight and maternal serum zinc concentration

Background: Low birth weight is a crucial and substantial factor contributing to infant mortality. Zinc deficiency can lead to clinically relevant disturbances in tissue functions and may affects birth weight of neonates. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between maternal serum zinc concentration and the low birth weight (<2500g) of their newborns. Design: Cross sectional, case-control study. Patients and methods: A total of 70 women were enrolled in this study. Thirty five women as case and 35 women as control. Women who gave birth to low birth weight infants (< 2500g) were regarded as the case group while those who gave birth to infants with weight ≥ 2500g were regarded as the control group. Maternalserum zinc was measured by spectrophotometry method in both groups soon after delivery and the results were compared in both groups. Mothers with twin and multiple pregnancies, per-eclampsia, eclampsia, uterine and cervical abnormalities, APH, oligo and polyhydramnios were excluded from the study. Results: Seventy women were enrolled, 35 of them were with LBW newbornswith a mean birth weight 2385 gram of whom the serum zinc level was 63.8±23.8 µgand the other 35 were controls with a mean birth weight with a serum zinc level was 71.6±19.4. There was no significant association between low maternal serum zinc level and low birth weight. Conclusion: Maternal zinc concentration was shown to slightly affect birth weight but the effect did not reach a statistical significance.