Oxidative stress and antioxidant status of pregnant rural women in north-west Nigeria: prospective cohort study

Abstract

Background/Objective: This research was undertaken to determine the oxidative stress and antioxidant status of pregnant northern Nigerian women.Methods: Prospective cohort study. The study was done at General Hospital, Dawakin Kudu LGA, Kano. Kano has a population of 9.2 million and predominantly Muslims. Two hundred consecutive women presenting for antenatal care and 100 apparently normal controls. Ethical approval was obtained. Socio-demographic and clinical information were obtained via interviewer-administered questionnaires from 200 consecutive pregnant women who presented for antenatal care. Serum levels of vitamins A, C, E and malondialdehyde were determined. Data was analyzed with SPSS version 16.0 statistical software. Descriptive statistics was used. Means were compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Associations between trimesters and oxidative stress/antioxidant status were tested using chi-square test and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Result: The mean serum vitamin A, E and C levels were 13.39 ± 9.44 µg/dl, 0.35 ± 0.51 mg/dl and 5.99 ± 3.95 µ/dl respectively (below normal limits). The prevalence of vitamins A, C and E deficiency were 65.5%, 79.5% and 51% respectively. The mean serum levels of malondialdehyde was 4.04 ± 0.91 nmol/l (pregnant) and 1.84 ± 0.40 nmol/l (non-pregnant) (p = 0.001). There was strong negative correlation between serum levels of malondialdehyde and vitamins A, C and E.Conclusion: Vitamins A, C, E deficiency and oxidative stress is a problem among Northern Nigeria pregnant women, therefore the value of antioxidant vitamin supplementation should be explored.