TY - JOUR
T1 - Adding zinc to prenatal iron and folate tablets improves fetal neurobehavioral development
AU - Merialdi, M.
AU - Caulfield, L. E.
AU - Zavaleta, N.
AU - Figueroa, A.
AU - DiPietro, J. A.
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported by DAN-5116-A-00-8051-00, a cooperative agreement between the United States Agency for International Development/Office of Health and The Johns Hopkins University; Dr. Merialdi was supported in part by The Amalia Griffini and Jacopo Miglierina Foundation, Varese, Italy.
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to examine whether improvement in maternal zinc status during pregnancy is positively associated with fetal neurobehavioral development in a Peruvian population. STUDY DESIGN: We electronically monitored, at 32 and 36 weeks' gestation, 55 fetuses whose mothers were randomly assigned to receive, during pregnancy, a daily supplement containing 60 mg iron and 250 μg folate, with or without 15 mg zinc. Fetal heart rate and movement patterns were quantified in 55 and 34 fetuses, respectively, as indexes of neurobehavioral development. RESULTS: Fetuses of mothers who received zinc supplementation showed fewer episodes of minimal fetal heart rate variability, increased fetal heart rate range, an increased number of accelerations, an increased number of movement bouts, an increased amount of time spent moving, and an increased number of large movements. Differences by supplementation type increased with gestational age and were statistically significant at 36 weeks' gestation (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Improving maternal zinc status through prenatal supplementation may improve fetal neurobehavioral development.
AB - OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to examine whether improvement in maternal zinc status during pregnancy is positively associated with fetal neurobehavioral development in a Peruvian population. STUDY DESIGN: We electronically monitored, at 32 and 36 weeks' gestation, 55 fetuses whose mothers were randomly assigned to receive, during pregnancy, a daily supplement containing 60 mg iron and 250 μg folate, with or without 15 mg zinc. Fetal heart rate and movement patterns were quantified in 55 and 34 fetuses, respectively, as indexes of neurobehavioral development. RESULTS: Fetuses of mothers who received zinc supplementation showed fewer episodes of minimal fetal heart rate variability, increased fetal heart rate range, an increased number of accelerations, an increased number of movement bouts, an increased amount of time spent moving, and an increased number of large movements. Differences by supplementation type increased with gestational age and were statistically significant at 36 weeks' gestation (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Improving maternal zinc status through prenatal supplementation may improve fetal neurobehavioral development.
KW - Electronic fetal monitoring
KW - Fetal development
KW - Peru
KW - Zinc
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U2 - 10.1016/S0002-9378(99)70236-X
DO - 10.1016/S0002-9378(99)70236-X
M3 - Article
C2 - 9988823
AN - SCOPUS:0032936218
SN - 0002-9378
VL - 180
SP - 483
EP - 490
JO - American journal of obstetrics and gynecology
JF - American journal of obstetrics and gynecology
IS - 2 I
ER -