title: [Pica diagnosis during pregnancy and micronutrient dificiency in Argentine women].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate by biochemical parameters iron and zinc nutritional status in women with and without pica diagnosis during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  During puerperium 109 women were evaluated at Fiorito Hospital, Argentina. Pica diagnosis was made in 42 women while 67 did not refer the practice. Fasting blood samples were obtained and analyzed in a hematology analyzer for values of red blood cells, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, and hematocrit. Serum zinc and erythrocyte zinc was analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Substances consumed during pica practice were: earth, ice, brick, paper, desinfectant and dog food. Women with pica diagnosis had higher a rate of family history of pica and personal antecedents of pica in childhood (OR: 15.9). Sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics and neonatal birth weight were similar between both groups, although women with pica diagnosis had lower values in mean corpuscular volume (p = 0,008), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (p = 0,009) and erythrocyte zinc (0,008). Applying a logistic regression model, erythrocyte zinc was the only biochemical indicator associated with pica practice (p = 0,028).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At puerperium, women with pica during pregnancy could have lower levels in biochemical parameters for iron and zinc status so we suggest that early diagnosis of pica could help to identify micronutrient deficient.
authors.affiliation: Escuela de Nutrición, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Poy
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weisstaub
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Iglesias
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Ma L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Portela
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: López
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D001724:Birth Weight; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D016015:Logistic Models; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000172:deficiency*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010842:Pica / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D018977:Micronutrients; D007501:Iron; D015032:Zinc