[Serum zinc during labor and in the newborn infant at term]

A study of serum zinc by atomic absorption spectrophotometry was carried out in peripheral blood samples form a group of 30 full-term mothers and umbilical cord samples from their newborns. Peripheral blood samples from 15 non-pregnant healthy women and umbilical cord samples collected within the first 24 hours in 20 healthy newborns were also obtained. Serum zinc in non-pregnant women yielded higher values which were significant (p less than 0,01), any way, the level of significance was higher when authors compared full term pregnant women with full term newborns in the first day of life.