Serum zinc levels in iron deficiency anemia, non-iron deficiency anemia, and normal pregnant women and its correlation with iron status and hematological parameters

Abstract

Background: There is limited information on zinc deficiency in pregnant women. The present study aimed to assess the serum zinc (S. zinc) levels and its relation to iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in pregnant women. Patients and Methods: In this case–control study, S. zinc concentrations of 34 individuals diagnosed with IDA, 20 non-iron deficiency anemic pregnant women, and 32 non-anemic apparently healthy individuals were measured. Results: S. zinc was significantly lower in the IDA group (49.59 ng/dL) compared to the healthy controls (55.78; P = 0.018). The individuals in three groups were comparable in the number of persons with zinc deficiency. The study showed that S. zinc has a positive correlation with Hb (r = 0.281, P = 0.011). In addition, S. zinc had a positive correlation with hematocrit (HCT, r = 0.305, P = 0.005) and a negative correlation with serum iron (S. iron, r = 0.242, P = 0.029). Conclusions: This investigation showed that the patients with IDA have a significantly lower concentration of S. zinc and it was substantially positively correlated with Hb, red blood cell, and HCT and negatively with S. iron. Further studies are still needed to evaluate the benefits of zinc and iron supplementation in IDA patients.