RELATION OF MATERNAL ZINC NUTRITURE TO PREGNANCY OUTCOME AND INFANT DEVELOPMENT IN AN EGYPTIAN VILLAGE

Zinc nutriture of women living in a periurban Egyptian village was exa mined over the last 6 mo of pregnancy and the first 6 mo of lactation as one of several potential determinants of pregnancy outcome and infa nt development. Estimated bioavailable zinc intake was approximate to 2 mg/d from diets high in phytate and fiber. Among numerous variables analyzed by multiple regression, early pregnancy weight (3 mo) and pla sma zinc concentrations in the second trimester formed the best predic tor model of birth weight, accounting for 39% of the variance. Bioavai lable zinc intake during pregnancy was part of a profile of micronutri ent intakes related to neonatal habituation behavior, a measure of ear ly information processing. Performance on the Bayley motor test at 6 m o of age was negatively related to maternal intakes of plant zinc, phy tate, and fiber, suggesting that zinc bioavailability was involved. Ma ternal dietary intake explained most of the variance observed in infan t motor performance; however, predictive variance was amplified by the psychosocial context.