comparison of maternal and umbilical cord blood selenium levels in low and normal birth weight neonates

objective: to compare the maternal and umbilical cord serum selenium concentrations in low and normal birth weight neonates. materials and methods: a case-control study was carried out in vali-asr and akbarabadi hospitals (jan. to dec. 2013). two groups; case group; 91 mothers who delivered a low birth weight (lbw) neonate and control group; 86 subjects who delivered a normal birth weight neonate were selected. immediately after birth, 5 ml of maternal blood and umbilical cord blood were collected, and sent to laboratory to assay se concentrations. to compare both groups' blood se concentration, data were analyzed in spss 16.0. results: eighty six (48.6%) mothers with normal birth weight neonates and 91 (51.4%) mothers with low birth weight infants entered the study. mean maternal mothers' age and mean maternal blood se were 28.55+5.90 years and 79.3756+26.46915. a significant association was seen between maternal blood and cord blood se level in control and case group (p value<0.0001, r = 0.69) and (p value<0.001, r = 0.79). on the other hand no differences were seen between 2 groups' maternal blood se level (p value = 0.65). umbilical cord blood se concentration was not also different between case and control group (p value = 0.46). conclusion: we found that maternal and umbilical cord blood se concentrations were not different in low and adequate birth weight infants, however; umbilical cord se concentrations were positively correlated with maternal blood se concentrations.