Copper and Zinc in the Amniotic Fluid and Serum from High-Risk Pregnant Women 1

Abstract

Summary

Copper was found to be a normal constituent of the amniotic fluid in high-risk pregnant women at the level of 0.14 ± 0.004 ppm (n = 138). Copper in the amniotic fluid was positively correlated (P < 0.001) to maternal serum copper levels at r = 0.43. During the 13-19 weeks of early pregnancy, copper levels in the amniotic fluid and serum were not appreciably influenced by gestational age. There was no significant correlation between copper and zinc in serum or amniotic fluid. Copper levels in serum and amniotic fluid during this period were not altered in pregnant women having an increased risk of producing a child with a fetal anomaly.