Association of Zn and Cu levels in cord blood and maternal milk with pregnancy outcomes among the Slovenian population

Osredkar, Joško (author), Geršak, Živa Miriam (author), Karas Kuželički, Nataša (author), Snoj Tratnik, Janja (author), Mazej, Darja (author), Falnoga, Ingrid (author), Horvat, Milena (author), Geršak, Ksenija (author)

Trace elements, including zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu), are known to play important roles in human health. The present study aimed to assess the levels of Zn and Cu in cord blood and maternal milk and to analyze their association with maternal and infant characteristics and pregnancy outcomes in a Slovenian study population of mothers and their neonates recruited within the PHIME prospective cohort study. The study included 324 mothers, but the data on Zn and Cu levels in both cord blood and maternal milk was available for 243 mothers. Questionnaires were used to assess the socio-demographic and health status of the mothers, their lifestyle habits (including detailed nutritional habits), and their residential and occupational histories. Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to measure Zn and Cu levels in cord blood and maternal milk. Low Zn levels in cord blood were associated with lower gestational age and birth weight and were correlated with an increased probability of the birth of small for gestational age (SGA) infants. Maternal smoking influenced the Cu levels in both cord blood and maternal milk. Cord blood Cu levels were higher and Cu levels in maternal milk were lower in smoking compared to non-smoking mothers. Most importantly, a decreased Zn/Cu ratio in cord blood was associated with lower gestational age and lower birth weight. This indicates the overall positive effects of Zn and negative effects of Cu on pregnancy outcomes.

• Language: English
• Keywords: cord blood, maternal milk, gestational age, birth weight
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FFA - Faculty of Pharmacy; MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: Str. 1-19
• Numbering: Vol. 14, no. 21, art. 4667
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-142400
• UDC: 618.2/.7
• ISSN on article: 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu14214667
• COBISS.SI-ID: 128037379
• Publication date in RUL: 07.11.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Nutrients
• Shortened title: Nutrients
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2072-6643
• COBISS.SI-ID: 2948140

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: popkovnična kri, materino mleko, gestacijska starost, porodna teža

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P3-0124-2020
• Name: Metabolni in prirojeni dejavniki reproduktivnega zdravja, porod III

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P1-0143-2020
• Name: Kroženje snovi v okolju, snovna bilanca in modeliranje okoljskih procesov ter ocena tveganja