Serum level of Zinc and Copper among pregnant women of Jam area referred to Towhid Hospital,southern part of Bushehr

Background: Micronutrients are essential for the healthy growth and development of body organs and they have important roles in the function of immune and skeletal system . During pregnancy, due to the physiological changes for the normal growth of fetal, the need for minerals is significantly increased. The aim of this study was to find the status of serum copper and zinc and their relation to anemia in pregnant women. Materials and Methods: In this randomized, cross sectional descriptive study 250 pregnant women (mean age, 27.2&plusmn;5.5) participated. They attended the medical center (In Jam area, Bushehr, Iran) for routine checkups. Blood was collected from them and serum levels of Copper and Zinc were measured by atomic absorption spectrophothometric method. Hemoglobin and other indexes were measured by Automatic Counter analyzer. Results: the mean serum concentration of copper and Zinc were 126.5&plusmn;56.7 g/dl and 67.6&plusmn;18.2 g/dl respectively. Also the percentage of their deficiency was 21.2% and 47.2% respectively. The mean level of hemoglobin in the subjects was 11.9&plusmn;1.2 and the percentage of anemia (Hb < 11g/dl) was 21.6%. There was a significant differences between increases in gestational age and the deficiency of copper and zinc in the participants, which is as the pregnancy progress, the deficiency of Copper reduces (p=0.024) and that of Zinc increases(p=0.036). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the deficiency of Copper, Zinc and the rate of anemia in the pregnant women of Jam area is significantly high and suggests that a proper interventional program should be planned to monitor such women at risk, before their marriage or in prenatal clinics