Association of Serum Zinc level with Pre Eclampsia.

BACKGROUND: Pre eclampsia is the commonest obstetrical complication in pregnant women. The etiology of pre eclampsia has yet not been clearly understood. It has a worldwide prevalence of 2-10% of pregnancies and one of the major causes of increase in maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Zinc plays an important role in the course and eventual outcome of human pregnancy and is essential for normal embryogenesis and fetal growth. Zinc deficiency in pregnancy is thought to be associated with pre-eclampsia. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the serum zinc level in pre-eclampsia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This Hospital based study conducted at Gynecology Department of Indus Medical Collage, Tando Muhammad Khan, Sindh from October 2015 to March 2016 with the Permission of Head of the Department and Principal of Institute. The study groups consist of 40 consecutive diagnosed cases of pre eclampsia and 40 women with normal pregnancies. The serum zinc level of the subjects under this study was determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. RESULTS: The results of our study showed that serum Zinc level among the pre-eclamptic and was statistically significantly low as compared to normotensive pregnant women. CONCLUSION: The findings of current work are statistically significant to establish that concentration of serum zinc among preeclamptic subjects is lower than in the normotensive women during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]