title: Effect of iron-folate supplementation on serum copper concentration in late pregnancy.
abstract: The effect of iron-folate supplementation on maternal serum copper concentration in late pregnancy (33 to 35 weeks gestation) was examined. In the 30 women who had taken daily iron-folate supplements since the start of the second trimester (11 to 15 weeks gestation), the median serum copper concentration was lower than that in the 27 women who had taken no supplements (p < 0.005). However, in the supplemented women the median values for serum iron concentration and blood hemoglobin concentration were higher, and the median value for serum transferrin concentration was lower, than the corresponding median values in the unsupplemented women (p < 0.001, p < 0.02 and p < 0.001, respectively). Further work is needed to determine whether the difference between the median values for serum copper concentration is due to a reduction in values in the women who took iron-folate, perhaps as a result of an interaction between iron and copper, or is due to an increase in values in the unsupplemented women secondary to their apparently reduced iron status.
authors.affiliation: University of Dundee, Department of Biochemical Medicine, Scotland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Paterson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third / Q000097:blood*; D014168:Transferrin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D014168:Transferrin; D003300:Copper; D005492:Folic Acid; D007501:Iron