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Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes
03:19

Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes

Published on: June 28, 2024

403

Serum Folate, Red Blood Cell Folate, and Zinc Serum Levels Are Related with Gestational Weight Gain and Offspring's

Reyna Sámano1, Hugo Martínez-Rojano2,3, Gabriela Chico-Barba1

  • 1Coordinación de Nutrición y Bioprogramación, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, Secretaría de Salud, México City 11000, Mexico.

Nutrients
|June 19, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Low levels of serum folate, red blood cell folate, and serum zinc in adolescent mothers are linked to inadequate gestational weight gain and smaller babies. These nutritional deficiencies and suboptimal weight gain are common in this population.

Area of Science:

  • Maternal-fetal medicine
  • Nutritional science
  • Adolescent health

Background:

  • Gestational weight gain outside Institute of Medicine recommendations is linked to adverse perinatal outcomes.
  • Limited research exists on folate and zinc status in relation to gestational weight gain in adolescents.
  • Maternal zinc deficiency is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, including impaired immunity and restricted fetal growth.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between serum zinc, serum folate, and red blood cell folate concentrations and gestational weight gain in Mexican adolescents.
  • To examine the relationship between these nutrient levels and newborn size (weight and length).

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study of 406 adolescent-neonate dyads in Mexico City.
  • Analysis of serum and red blood cell folate, and serum zinc concentrations.
  • Assessment of gestational weight gain adequacy and infant size for gestational age.

Main Results:

  • Insufficient gestational weight gain occurred in 38.4% of adolescents; excessive gain in 36.7%.
  • Low serum folate, red blood cell folate, and serum zinc were associated with insufficient gestational weight gain.
  • Reduced serum zinc was linked to an increased probability of delivering a small for gestational age infant (20.9% of sample).

Conclusions:

  • Low serum folate, red blood cell folate, and serum zinc are associated with suboptimal gestational weight gain and small for gestational age infants in adolescents.
  • Both inadequate and excessive gestational weight gain, and delivering small for gestational age infants, are prevalent among adolescent mothers in this cohort.
Abstract

Keywords:
folatefolic acidgestational weight gainmaternal dietnewborn small for gestational ageteenage pregnancy

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