title: Maternal-fetal distribution of calcium, iron, copper, and zinc in pregnant teenagers and adults.
abstract: Adolescence is marked by intensive growth and development. When pregnancy occurs during this period of the mother's growth, there is an increase in her nutritional needs. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of calcium, iron, copper, and zinc in maternal plasma, the placenta, and in the cord plasma of pregnant teenagers and adults. A total of 80 sets of maternal plasma, placentas, and cord plasma (40 from teenagers and 40 from adults) were analyzed using synchrotron radiation total reflection X-ray fluorescence. The levels of calcium, copper, and zinc in the maternal and cord plasma from teenagers were not significantly different than those from adults. Iron levels in the teenagers maternal and cord plasma were higher than in the adults. All of the minerals analyzed were present at higher levels in the placentas from adults than those from teenagers. However, the low quantities of placental calcium, iron, copper, and zinc in the teenagers do not compromise the levels of these minerals in the cord plasma. Future research regarding the placental transport of these minerals is recommended to investigate the efficiency of mechanisms of transfer of these minerals in pregnant teenagers.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemical Nutrition, Josué de Castro Institute of Nutrition, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Milena Lima
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: de Moraes
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Faria Barbosa
authors.forename: Raquel Espírito
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Santo
authors.forename: Flávia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: da Silva Santos
authors.forename: Edgar Francisco Oliveira
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: de Jesus
authors.forename: Fátima Lúcia de Carvalho
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Sardinha
authors.forename: Maria das Graças
authors.initials: Md
authors.lastname: Tavares do Carmo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood*; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D055815:Young Adult; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D007501:Iron; D015032:Zinc; D002118:Calcium