Adding zinc to prenatal iron and folate tablets improves fetal neurobehavioral development

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to examine whether improvement in maternal zin c status during pregnancy is positively associated with fetal neurobehavior al development in a Peruvian population. STUDY DESIGN: We electronically monitored, at 32 and 36 weeks' gestation, 5 5 fetuses whose mothers were randomly assigned to receive, during pregnancy , a daily supplement containing 60 mg iron and 250 mu g folate, with or wit hout 15 mg zinc. Fetal heart rate and movement patterns were quantified in 55 and 34 fetuses, respectively as indexes of neurobehavioral development. RESULTS: Fetuses of mothers who received zinc supplementation showed fewer episodes of minimal fetal heart rate variability, increased fetal heart rat e range, an increased number of accelerations, an increased number of movem ent bouts, an increased amount of time spent moving, and an increased numbe r of large movements. Differences by supplementation type increased with ge stational age and were statistically significant at 36 weeks' gestation (P< .05). CONCLUSION: Improving maternal zinc status through prenatal supplementation may improve fetal neurobehavioral development.