Role of Vitamin A, Iron, Zinc and Copper in Relation to Anemia Severity in Pregnancy

Abstract

Background: Anemia is a common health problem during pregnancy, and nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy are associated with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, with various factors influencing its occurrence which significantly impacting maternal and fetal health.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the complete blood count and nutritional status, including iron, zinc, copper, and vitamin A in anemic and non-anemic pregnant women.

Materials and Methods: The study involved 200 participants, out of which 121 anemic pregnant and 79 non-anemic pregnant women. The severity of anemia among the participants was classified according to WHO guidelines. The iron, zinc, and copper were estimated using ICPMS and Vitamin A was estimated using LCMS/MS.

Results: The Hb and TLC were significantly reduced in anemic pregnant women than non-anemic (p<0.05). The iron (53.35±30.85 vs. 63.40±36.04; p=0.036), zinc (898.95±755.78 vs. 578.23±507.44; p=0.006), copper (397.92±205.34 vs. 1056.56±833.86; p=0.002), and vitamin A (506.24±223.42 vs. 662.52±220.15 pg/mL; p=0.0001) were significantly reduced in anemic women as compare to non-anemic women. Among the anemic severity, the severe anemic women had lower levels of vitamin A, iron, zinc, and copper than moderate and mild (p<0.05. The Hb was also positively correlated with iron (r=0.38; p=0.001), zinc (r=0.32; p<0.0001), and copper (r=0.27; p<0.0001), and vitamin A (r=0.29; p=0.019).

Conclusion: Anemia severity was correlated with reduced levels of iron, zinc, copper, and vitamin A. These findings provide valuable insights into the nutritional status of pregnant women and also highlight that during pregnancy, nutritional deficiency needs to addressed by   targeted interventions.