Deficient maternal zinc intake—but not folate—is associated with lower fetal heart rate variability. Issue 3 (March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Spann, Marisa N.; Smerling, Jennifer; Gustafsson, Hanna; Foss, Sophie; Altemus, Margaret; Monk, Catherine
• Is Part Of: Early human development. Volume 91:Issue 3(2015)
• Page Start: 169
• Page End: 172
• Publication Date: 2015-03
• Subjects: Fetus -- Periodicals; Neonatology -- Periodicals; Prenatal influences -- Periodicals; 612.65
• DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2015.01.007
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0378-3782

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="author" id="ab0005"> <title id="st0005">Abstract</title> <sec> <title id="st0010">Objective</title> <p id="sp0005">Few studies of maternal prenatal diet and child development examine micronutrient status in relation to fetal assessment.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="st0015">Methods</title> <p id="sp0010">Twenty-four-hour dietary recall of zinc and folate and 20 min of fetal heart rate were collected from 3rd trimester pregnant adolescents.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="st0020">Results</title> <p id="sp0015">Deficient zinc was associated with less fetal heart rate variability. Deficient folate had no associations with HRV. Neither deficient zinc nor deficient folate was related to fetal heart rate.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="st0025">Conclusions</title> <p id="sp0020">These findings, from naturalistic observation, are consistent with emerging data on prenatal zinc supplementation using a randomized control design.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="st0100">Practical Implication</title> <p id="sp0025">Taken together, the findings suggest that maternal prenatal zinc intake is an important and novel factor for understanding child ANS development.</p> </sec> </abstract>