American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 22, 726-732, Copyright © 1969 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Zinc Nutrition in Human Pregnancy in Fars Province, Iran

Significance of Geographic and Socioeconomic Factors

¹ From the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pahlavi University Medical School, Shiraz, Iran and the Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon

The effects of pregnancy upon the concentration of zinc in plasma and scalp hair were compared in three groups of women living in Fars Province, Iran, those living in villages, urban women living under socioeconomic conditions equivalent to those existing in the villages (UL group), and urban women of higher socioeconomic status (UM group). At the puerperium, zinc concentrations of plasma were decreased in many women of each group. However, low concentrations occurred with a significantly greater frequency in the village women than in others. The prevalence of lowered plasma zinc concentrations was the same in UL and UM groups. The response of plasma zinc in these groups was similar to that of women of Western countries as described in the literature. Zinc concentrations in hair were significantly lower in village and UL than in the UM groups. Concentrations of plasma protein, albumin, and calcium showed the usual trends associated with pregnancy and did not differ significantly among the several groups although markedly lowered calcium concentrations occurred in several village women. Evidence of a correlation between plasma zinc and plasma calcium concentrations in pregnancy was obtained. Hemoglobin concentrations were lower in village and UL groups than in the UM group. The results support those of previous studies which indicated that zinc nutrition of villagers in Iran as defined by concentration of zinc in plasma and hair, is less well maintained than it is in city dwellers.