Comparison of maternal and umbilical cord blood serum selenium levels in neonates with low and normal birth weight

Background

Selenium is a vital and rare element for the body that the maximum time for its accumulation and storage in the fetal body is the last trimester of pregnancy. This study aimed to compare the selenium level in maternal and umbilical cord blood in neonates with low and normal weight.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 112 pregnant women referred to a learning hospital, 2018. Case and control group, respectively, consisted of 56 women with neonates weighing less and more than 10 percentiles based on gestational age. After delivery, 5 cc blood was taken from mothers and neonates. After coagulation, it is centrifuged within a maximum of 1 h and its serum was frozen and sent to the laboratory. Then selenium were compared in two groups.

Results

The mean age and average gestational age of women was 26.66 ± 5.76 years and 38.68 ± 1.68 weeks, respectively. In the group of normal-weight neonates, a weak and direct correlation was observed between the weight and selenium of umbilical cord (P = 0.02).

Conclusion

Considering the low level of selenium in this study, it is suggested to conduct other studies with a larger sample size and in other populations to provide the possibility of examining the blood selenium of neonates.