The effect of diet supplementation and addition of zinc in vitro on the growth-supporting property of amniotic fluid in African women

Abstract

The effect of diet supplementation throughout pregnancy on third-trimester amniotic fluid growth-supporting activity (GSP) was studied in 100 African women; 32 were given zinc supplementation, 22 each animal and vegetable supplements, respectively, and 24 served as control subjects. No difference in GSP was noted in any of the four groups, the majority of fluids (65%) being noninhibitory. Zinc levels in fluids from African women were much lower than those described for other population groups at corresponding periods of gestation. Although zinc levels in liquor rose following dietary zinc supplementation, these remained lower than values described in white patients. In vitro addition of zinc (up to 153 mu moles per liter final concentration) to 17 noninhibitory African liquors resulted in these fluids becoming inhibitory.

PIP: The effect of 3 diet supplementation regimes throughout the latter part of pregnancy on the growth-supporting property (GSP) of third trimester fluids was studied in 100 African women: 32 were given zinc, 22 each animal and vegetable supplements, respectively; and 24 were controls. No significant increase of inhibitory activity was found in any of the 4 groups, the majority of fluids (overall average 65%) being noninhibitory. Zinc levels were very low as compared with Caucasian women. The effect of in vitro addition of zinc on the GSP of 17 noninhibitory fluids from African women showed 5 fluids becoming bacteriostatic and 12 becoming bactericidal after adding zinc at a final concentration of 15.3 mcmol/l; raising levels 5 and 10 times those concentrations rendered all fluids bactericidal. Zinc alone did not affect the growth of Staphylococcus aureus in control subjects without liquor.