POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTION OF MATERNAL ZINC SUPPLEMENTATION DURING PREGNANCY TO MATERNAL AND CHILD SURVIVAL

Mild-to-moderate zinc deficiency may be relatively common worldwide, b ut the public health importance of this degree of zinc deficiency is n ot well defined. The purpose of this review was to provide a conceptua l framework for evaluating the public health importance of maternal zi nc deficiency as it relates to fetal growth and development, complicat ions of pregnancy, labor and delivery, and maternal and infant health. The mechanisms through which zinc deficiency could influence health o utcomes are well described. The results of experimental studies conduc ted in animal models have motivated concern about the potential health effects of mild-to-moderate maternal zinc deficiency. Observational s tudies in human populations have produced strong associations between poor maternal zinc status and various indicators of poor pregnancy out come, but supplementation trials have not produced strong, or even con sistent results. Supplementation trials are needed to define the publi c health importance of maternal zinc deficiency worldwide.