ABSTRACT
Background: There is no doubt that micronutrient deficiency is common in our environment. Replacements have thus been instituted without adequate information on specific and peculiar micronutrient needs of our people. Zinc is an essential micronutrient which is prone to maternal depletion during pregnancy and lactation. Unfortunately; studies in that regard in Nigeria has received diminutive interest. Objectives: To determine zinc concentration during pregnancy and lactation. Methods: This is a cohort study involving one hundred and twenty (120) pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic of one tertiary and two secondary health care institutions in Enugu. Thirty-five (35) apparently healthy; non pregnant women were used as control subjects. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) was used to determine the zinc levels in the serum of the mothers during pregnancy; postpartum and in the breast milk. Results: Results showed that mean serum zinc levels were significantly decreased (P 0.0001) in pregnancy when compared with non-pregnant control subjects. The levels decreased as gestation progressed; with the lowest concentration of serum zinc obtained during the third trimester. It was also observed that serum zinc levels which decreased in pregnancy; increased non- significantly (P
Subject(s)
Lactation , Nigeria , Pregnancy , Pregnant Women , ZincABSTRACT
L' absence de stimulation des mamelons suffit generalement a stopper la lactation.En cas de douleur ; la prises de paracetamol est la premiere mesure a envisager
Subject(s)
Lactation , Lisuride/adverse effects , Milk, Human , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
The milk yield and 7-day weighed food intakes of 6 lactating mothers in the post-partum period of 2 to 10 months were determined. Breast-milk was analysed for protein and vitamin A. Weights and heights of the mothers and their infants were taken. The results suggest that even though milk yield may seem low compared with values from developed countries; exclusive breast-feeding of the Ghanaian infant for the first 4 months of life will support satisfactory growth