title: Trace elements in meconium from preterm and full-term infants.
abstract: Meconium samples from 23 preterm infants (birth weight = 1,097 +/- 359 g; gestational age 29 +/- 3 weeks, mean +/- SD) and 27 full-term infants (3,453 +/- 476 g; 39.5 +/- 1 weeks) were analyzed for zinc, copper, manganese, chromium and iron by atomic absorption spectrometry. Compared to meconium from preterm infants, full-term infants had an elevated (p less than 0.05) total excretion (microgram) of zinc (957 +/- 545 vs. 503 +/- 506), copper (245 +/- 256 vs. 128 +/- 94) and manganese (62 +/- 55 vs. 29 +/- 29), but not iron (190 +/- 147 vs. 332 +/- 532) or chromium (0.4 +/- 0.19 vs. 0.75 +/- 1.0). Two preterm infants had high losses (1.5 and 2 mg) of iron in their meconium. Zinc, copper and manganese losses into meconium appear to increase with gestation, whereas iron and chromium losses occur early in gestation and may be reabsorbed by term.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Friel
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Matthew
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Skinner
mesh_terms: D002857:Chromium / Q000032:analysis; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis; D008345:Manganese / Q000032:analysis; D008470:Meconium / Q000032:analysis*; D012016:Reference Values; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D002857:Chromium; D008345:Manganese; D003300:Copper; D007501:Iron; D015032:Zinc