Second-trimester plasma homocysteine levels and pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, and intrauterine growth restriction.

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Zinc in this randomized controlled trial publication.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether second-trimester plasma homocysteine levels are elevated among women whose pregnancies are subsequently complicated by pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, or intrauterine growth restriction.

Who Took Part

The study group was 16 women.

The age groups tagged for this paper are adults, women only.

Women with normal but relatively low plasma zinc levels were randomly assigned to receive zinc supplementation or placebo from 19 weeks' gestation until delivery.

Among all women with available samples, pregnancy-induced hypertension (n = 12) or preeclampsia (n = 4) developed in 16 women, and 22 pregnancies were complicated by intrauterine growth restriction.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized and placebo-controlled study.

The women were allocated by chance, so the Zinc group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Some women received a placebo instead of Zinc, giving a reference point.

Plasma homocysteine concentration and plasma and erythrocyte folate levels were determined for all available stored samples (zinc group, 231/294; placebo group, 206/286) at 26 and 37 weeks' gestation.

What Was Measured

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Erythrocytes, Fetal Growth Retardation, Folic Acid, Homocysteine, Hypertension, Osmolar Concentration and Pre-Eclampsia.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized and placebo-controlled study of Zinc in 16 women.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 3 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2000 (American journal of obstetrics and gynecology), a journal based in United States.

More context: the related Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc library page, all human trials.