Antioxidant status of pregnant Nigerian Women at Term and its effect on birth weight

Abstract

Due to the physiological stress generally imposed on the nutritional status of pregnant women and the emerging interest in the antioxidant status of various groups, we decided to assess the serum antioxidant status [serum albumin, vitamin E and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity] of some pregnant Nigerian women at term, in comparison to age-matched non-pregnant women from the same community consuming similar diets.  Vitamin E and albumin were significantly lower (0.98±0.32 mg/dl as against 1.15 ± 0.44mg/dl, p<0.02), while GSH-Px activity was maternal group.  Vitamin E showed a positive significant relationship with packed cell volume (PCV) and also with albumin, r=0.465, p<0.005 and r=0.344, p<0.05 respectively) in the pregnant women.  Although most of the neonates weighed 2.5kg or more at birth, the results suggested that the material age and not serum antioxidant level was a more important determinant of birth weight in this study.  The premature ageing and debility, which accompany some pregnancies, may not be unconnected in part to increase in oxidant stress as a result of depletion of serum antioxidants.  It is hereby suggested that a closer attention at the antioxidant status of pregnant mothers could be to their advantage.