A study of serum Zinc level in Maternal and Umbilical cord blood amongst pregnant women of Lower Assam with reference to Neonatal outcome.

Dr. KAKOLI DAS

Volume : VIII, Issue : IV, April - 2018

A study of serum Zinc level in Maternal and Umbilical cord blood amongst pregnant women of Lower Assam with reference to Neonatal outcome.

Dr. Kakoli Das

Abstract :

Introduction and Objectives: Zinc plays a very important role in physiological functions of the body which has been established in due course of time through a multitude of research works, animal experimentations etc. A different aspect of the functions of zinc is unravelled till date and the present study is one such maiden effort. This study was carried on in the Lower Assam region to find out the effect of socioeconomic status diet and external supplementation of zinc of pregnant mothers and their newborns.

Materials and Methods: It is a cross sectional study and a series of zinc estimations are made by double beam spectrophotometric methods. Blood sample was obtained under proper aseptic and antiseptic conditions, strictly stored under refrigeration, centrifuged and analysis done. The results obtained in parts per million and the data is compiled and presented statistically.

Result: It was seen that the maximum number of pregnant women were from lower socioeconomic group and the mean values of the highest and the lowest serum zinc level were observed in women of upper middle income group and lower income group, a finding which correlates with various studies carried on from time to time. This study was conducted from September 2017 to Feuary 2018.

Conclusion: This is a maiden study aimed to reduce the morbidity and the mortality of the neonates and to reduce the burden in the society. It becomes possible through balanced diet and zinc supplementation of pregnant women. Intake of phytates should be very judicious so that the absorption of zinc from the gut is proper which otherwise will reduce the bioavailability of zinc in the body leading to difficult neonatal outcomes.