FACTORS INFLUENCING PLASMA ZINC LEVELS IN LOW-INCOME PREGNANT-WOMEN

Plasma zinc (Zn) concentrations were measured in 4376 indigent women ( 86% African-American), at a mean (+/- SD) gestational age of 15 (+/- 7 .8) wk to determine the relationship between various maternal characte ristics and plasma Zn levels during pregnancy. Mean plasma Zn levels w ere lower in African-American women than in Caucasian women, in multip arous women than in primiparous women, and in women with body weight > 69.9 kg than in those with body weight less than or equal to 69.9 kg (p less than or equal to 0.001 for each comparison). There were no sig nificant differences related to maternal age, marital status, educatio n, or smoking habit. Multiple regression analysis, including maternal prepregnacy weight, race, age, parity, smoking habit, education, and m arital status indicated that race, parity, and pregnancy weight were s ignificantly associated with maternal plasma Zn levels, adjusted for g estational age. Maternal race was the best predictor of plasma Zn conc entrations among the population of pregnant women studied A significan t proportion of variance in maternal plasma Zn levels remained unexpla ined after taking into account various maternal characteristics. The r easons for lower plasma Zn levels in African-American women, compared to Caucasian women, during pregnancy are unknown.