Zinc status in women with premature rupture of membranes at term

Zinc concentrations were measured by atomic absorption spectrometry in whole blood, scalp hair, pubic hair, and colostrum from patients at term with and without premature rupture of membranes (PROM). A maternal zinc index was established for each patient, expressed as an average ranking of the four determinations. The mean +/- SD value of the maternal zinc index in patients with PROM was significantly lower than in patients without this complication (4.33 +/- 1.18 versus 5.97 +/- 1.39, respectively; P = .0002). The inverse relationship between maternal zinc index and parity was statistically significant (r = -0.61; P = .04). These results suggest that the subnormal tissue zinc content in pregnancy may play a role as a causative factor in PROM at term.