Serum copper and zinc levels in mothers and cord blood of their newborn infants with neural tube defects: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVES To measure the cord blood and maternal serum levels of folic acid, vitamin B12, zinc, copper, selenium and lead in infants born with neural tube defect (NTD), and to examine a possible relationship between the nutriture of these micronutrients and occurrence of neural tube defect. DESIGN Case-control study. METHODS Maternal serum and cord blood samples were obtained at delivery from 70 healthy mothers and 74 mothers who had a newborn with NTD. RESULTS The mean (+/- SD) maternal serum zinc level in the NTD group was significantly lower than that of the control group (835.6 microg/L (+/- 333.8 /L vs. 1035.7 microg/L (+/- 299.8 g/ L, P=0.004, respectively). The mean maternal and cord serum copper levels in the NTD group were significantly higher when compared to the control group (2831.1 microg/L (+/- 1017 g/L vs. 2402 microg/L (+/- 744.2 microg/L; P=0.03; and 789.8 microg/L vs 517.2 microg/L, P < 0.001, respectively). There was a negative correlation between the cord levels of folic acid and copper in the NTD group with the respective maternal serum levels (r=-0.289; P=0.018). CONCLUSIONS High maternal serum levels of copper and lower level of zinc during pregnancy associated with NTD in newborn.