Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Serum Zinc, Copper, Selenium, Calcium, and Magnesium Levels in Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia

  • Published:
Biological Trace Element Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Pregnant women in developing countries are vulnerable to multiple micronutrient deficiencies. Studies assessing serum levels of the micronutrients and magnitude of their deficiencies are very scarce in African subjects. This study was aimed at determining serum levels of micronutrients in 375 pregnant (42 HIV seropositive) and 76 non-pregnant women (20 HIV seropositive) who visited the University of Gondar Hospital, Gondar, Ethiopia. Serum concentrations of zinc,\ copper, selenium, calcium, and magnesium were determined using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Irrespective of HIV serostatus, pregnant women had significantly higher serum concentrations of copper and copper/zinc ratio and significantly lower magnesium compared to those in non-pregnant women (P < 0.05). Except for selenium, which was significantly lower in HIV-seropositive pregnant women (P < 0.05), the mean serum concentrations of zinc, copper, calcium, and magnesium were not significantly different between pregnant women by HIV serostatus. The prevalence of deficiency in zinc, magnesium, selenium, and calcium in the pregnant women, irrespective of their HIV serostatus, was 66.7%, 25.6%, 21.9%, and 9.3%, respectively. The magnitude of deficiency in zinc, magnesium, and selenium was significantly higher in HIV seropositive pregnant women (76.2%, 52.4%, and 45.2%) than that in HIV-seronegative pregnant women (65.5%, 22.2%, and 18.9%) and in HIV-seronegative non-pregnant women (42.9%, 8.1%, and 30.4%; P < 0.05). Deficiency in one, two, three, or four mineral elements was observed in 44.8%, 14.4%, 9.9%, and 5.1% of the pregnant women, respectively. Only 25.9% of the pregnant women and 44.7% of the non-pregnant women were not deficient in any of the micronutrients. The high prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies in pregnant and non-pregnant women in Gondar, Ethiopia warrants the need for strategies on prevention and control of the deficiencies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. WHO (1996) Trace elements in human nutrition and health. WHO, Geneva, Switzerland

    Google Scholar 

  2. Failla ML (2003) Trace elements and host defense: recent advances and continuing challenges. J Nutr 133:1443S–1447S

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Black RE (2001) Micronutrients in pregnancy. Br J Nutr 85:S193–S197

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Abdulla M, Khan AH, Reis MF (1996) Trace element nutrition in developing countries. Asia Pacific J Clin Nutr 5:186–190

    Google Scholar 

  5. Ramakrishnan U (2002) Prevalence of micronutrient malnutrition worldwide. Nutr Rev 60:S46–S52

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Seshadri S (2001) Prevalence of micronutrient deficiency particularly of iron, zinc and folic acid in pregnant women in South East Asia. Br J Nutr 85:S87–S92

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Christian P (2003) Micronutrients and reproductive health issues: an international perspective. J Nutr 133:1969S–1973S

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. King JC (2000) Physiology of pregnancy and nutrient metabolism. Amer J Clin Nutr 71:1218–1225

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kontic-Vucinic O, Sulovic N, Radunovic N (2006) Micronutrients in women's reproductive health: II. Minerals and trace elements. Int J Fertil Womens Med 51:116–124

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Ramakrishnan U, Manjrekar R, Rivera J, Gonzales-Cossio T, Martorell R (1999) Micronutrients and pregnancy outcome: a review of the literature. Nutr Res 19:103–159

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Seydoux J, Girardin E, Paunier L, Beguin F (1992) Serum and intracellular magnesium during normal pregnancy and in patients with pre-eclampsia. Br J Obstet Gynecol 99:207–211

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Yasodhara P, Ramaraju LA, Raman L (1994) Trace minerals in pregnancy 1. Copper and zinc. Nutr Res 11:15–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Martin-Lagos F, Navarro-Alarcon M, Terres-Martos C, Lopez-Garcia de la Serrana H, Perez-Valero V, Lopez-Martinez MC (1998) Zinc and copper concentrations in serum from Spanish women during pregnancy. Biol Trace Elem Res 61:61–70

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Tamura T, Goldenberg RL, Johnston KE, DuBard M (2000) Maternal plasma zinc concentrations and pregnancy outcome. Am J Clin Nutr 71:109–113

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Ma AG, Chen XC, Xu RX, Zheng MC, Wang Y, Li JS (2004) Comparison of serum levels of iron, zinc and copper in anaemic and non-anemic pregnant women in China. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 13:348–352

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Pathak P, Kapil U, Kapoor SK et al (2004) Prevalence of multiple micronutrient deficiencies amongst pregnant women in a rural area of Haryana. Indian J Pediatr 71:1007–1014

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute (2002) Manual for HIV-1 diagnosis. Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Google Scholar 

  18. Kassu A, Yabutani T, Mahmud ZH et al (2006) Alterations in serum levels of trace elements in tuberculosis HIV infection. Eur J Clin Nutr 60:580–586

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Sauberlich HE (1999) Laboratory tests for the assessment of nutritional status, 2nd edn. CRC, Boca Raton

    Google Scholar 

  20. Ethiopian Ministry of Health (2006) AIDS in Ethiopia, 6th edn. Ethiopian Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Google Scholar 

  21. Kapil U, Pathak P, Singh P, Singh C (2002) Zinc and magnesium nutriture amongst pregnant mothers of urban slum communities in Delhi: a pilot study. Indian Pediatr 39:365–368

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Gibson RS (1994) Zinc nutrition in developing countries. Nutr Res Rev 7:151–173

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Krebs NF (2000) Overview of zinc absorption and excretion in the human gastrointestinal tract. J Nutr 130(5S Suppl):1374S–1377S

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Kalra R, Kalra VB, Sareen PM, Khandelwal R (1989) Serum copper and ceruloplasmin in pregnancy with anaemia. Indian J Pathol Microbiol 32:28–32

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Olivares M, Uauy R (1996) Copper as an essential nutrient. Am J Clin Nutr 63:791–796

    Google Scholar 

  26. Creizel AE (1995) Nutritional supplementation and prevention of congenial abnormalities. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol 2:88–94

    Google Scholar 

  27. Gupta AP, Bhandari B, Gupta A (1984) Serum copper, zinc, magnesium and calcium in neonates. Indian Pediatr 21:469–473

    Google Scholar 

  28. Hall DG (1957) Serum magnesium during pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol 9:158–162

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Grollman A, Grollman EF (1965) Pharmacology and therapeutics, 6th edn. Lea, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  30. Chien PFW, Khan KS, Arnott N (1996) Magnesium sulphate in the treatment of eclampsia and pre-eclampsia: an overview of the evidence from randomized trials. Brit J Obstetr Gynecol 103:1085–1091

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Almonte RA, Heath DL, Whitehall J, Russell MJ, Pathole S, Vink R (1999) Gestational magnesium deficiency is deleterious to fetal outcome. Biol Neonate 76:26–32

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. McKenzie RC, Rafferty TS, Beckett GJ (1998) Selenium: an essential element for immune function. Immunol Today 19:342–345

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Zachara BA, Wardak C, Didkowski W, Maciag A, Marchaluk E (1993) Changes in blood selenium and glutathione concentrations and glutathione peroxidase activity in human pregnancy. Gynekol Obstet Invest 35:12–17

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Hamlin RJH (1962) Prevention of preeclampsia. Lancet 1:864–865

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Lagerkvist BJ, Ekesrydh S, Englyst V, Nordberg GF, Söderberg HA, Wiklund DE (1996) Increased blood lead and decreased calcium levels during pregnancy: a prospective study of Swedish women living near a smelter. Am J Public Health 86:1247–1252

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Lonnerdal B (2000) Dietary factors influencing zinc absorption. J Nutr 130:1378S–1383S

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Financial support was provided by University of Gondar, Ethiopia and partly by Sasakawa Scientific Research Grant from the Japan Science Society (no. 17-241).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, P.O. Box 196, Gondar, Ethiopia

    Afework Kassu & Andargachew Mulu

  2. Department of Preventive Environment and Nutrition, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan

    Afework Kassu & Fusao Ota

  3. Department of Chemical Science and Technology, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan

    Tomoki Yabutani

  4. Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia

    Belay Tessema

Authors
  1. Afework Kassu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tomoki Yabutani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Andargachew Mulu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Belay Tessema
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Fusao Ota
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Afework Kassu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kassu, A., Yabutani, T., Mulu, A. et al. Serum Zinc, Copper, Selenium, Calcium, and Magnesium Levels in Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia. Biol Trace Elem Res 122, 97–106 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-007-8067-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-007-8067-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation