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Objectives: Pregnant women in developing countries might be at risk of trace element deficiencies. These deficiencies could have deleterious effects on fetus. Therefore, serum trace elements were determined at delivery in Zairian mothers and their newborns., Design: Prospective study., Setting: Maternity ward of Kinshasa University Hospital (Zaire)., Subjects: 166 pregnant women admitted for delivery and their newborns., Main Outcome Measures: Zinc, copper and selenium were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. Haematocrit, lymphocyte count, transferrin, ferritin and anthropometric indices (birth weight, length, head and arm circumferences; mother weight) were also evaluated., Results: Serum selenium concentrations were high [mothers: 0.76-1.56 mumol/l (60-124 micrograms/l), newborns: 0.45-1.21 mumol/l (36-96 micrograms/l)]; zinc concentrations were low [mothers: 3.9-11.9 mumol/l (253-773 micrograms/l), newborns: 5.8-17.4 mumol/l (378-1130 micrograms/l)] and copper concentrations were in the range of previous works [mothers: 16.2-49.0 mumol/l (1020-3088 micrograms/l), newborns: 0.7-14.3 mumol/l (44-900 micrograms/l)]. Mother serum indices, age, weight and parity had little influence on newborn serum trace elements. In umbilical serum, copper was correlated to selenium (r = 0.340, P < 0.01); selenium (r = 0.310, P < 0.001) and copper (r = 0.404, P < 0.001) were correlated to transferrin. Newborn selenium (r = 0.310, P < 0.001) and copper (r = 0.257, P < 0.01) concentrations were related to head circumference. Newborn selenium concentration varied according to birth weight [< 2500 g: 0.58-0.86 mumol/l (45-67 micrograms/l); > 2500 g: 0.48-1.20 mumol/l (37-94 micrograms/l). Umbilical serum copper concentration was related to birth length (r = 0.197, P < 0.05)., Conclusions: These results suggest that: (1) copper and selenium status at delivery in Zairian mothers are similar to those in developed countries, whereas zinc status is poor; (2) trace element and nutritional status in the mother and fetus are independent.

An evaluation of iron and folate status was carried out on 166 Zairian pregnant women from Kinshasa at delivery and in cord blood from their newborns. Anemia, defined as a low hematocrit value (less than 33%), was observed in 38% of pregnant women. Iron deficiency, recognized by a combination of abnormal values for serum ferritin level (less than or equal to 12 micrograms/l) and transferrin saturation (less than 16%) was present in 54% of pregnant women. Folate deficiency, defined by a red blood cell folate of less than 100 micrograms/l, was observed in 6% of cases. In anemic mothers, anemia was associated with iron deficiency in 57% of cases and with folate deficiency in 5%. Correlations between maternal and newborn iron and folate indicators were found. This study points out the necessity for developing strategies in African countries to combat nutritional anemias during pregnancy by specific measures combined with general strategies.