Maternal Zinc, Copper, and Selenium Intakes during Pregnancy and Congenital Heart Defects

Abstract

The effects of zinc, copper, and selenium on human congenital heart defects (CHDs) remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the associations of the maternal total, dietary, and supplemental intakes of zinc, copper, and selenium during pregnancy with CHDs. A hospital-based case-control study was performed, including 474 cases and 948 controls in Northwest China. Eligible participants waiting for delivery were interviewed to report their diets and characteristics in pregnancy. Mixed logistic regression was adopted to examine associations and interactions between maternal intakes and CHDs. Higher total intakes of zinc, selenium, zinc to copper ratio, and selenium to copper ratio during pregnancy were associated with lower risks of total CHDs and the subtypes, and the tests for trend were significant (all p < 0.05). The significantly inverse associations with CHDs were also observed for dietary intakes of zinc, selenium, zinc to copper ratio, selenium to copper ratio, and zinc and selenium supplements use during pregnancy and in the first trimester. Moreover, high zinc and high selenium, even with low or high copper, showed a significantly reduced risk of total CHDs. Efforts to promote zinc and selenium intakes during pregnancy need to be strengthened to reduce the incidence of CHDs in the Chinese population.

Zinc status in public health: exploring emerging research trends through bibliometric analysis of the historical context from 1978 to 2022

“…Animal studies showed that fetal starvation resulted in congenital heart abnormalities (CHDs) and the infant’s cardiac deformities (Lopez et al 2008 ). CHDs are the most prevalent congenital impairments, with an estimated prevalence of 9.4% of births globally (Liu et al 2019 ); 9% of live births were affected most frequently in China, where more than 150,000 instances are reported yearly (Zhao et al 2019 ; Yang et al 2022 ). In addition, malnourished children are more susceptible to dying from illnesses that commonly affect children, such as measles, malaria, HIV/AIDS, pneumonia, or diarrhea (Black et al 2013 ).…”

Exposure to essential and non-essential trace elements and risks of congenital heart defects: A narrative review

“…Cu can pass through the placental barrier through the active transport of two Cu-ATPases (ATP7A and ATP7B), therefore, the fetus may also be affected by maternal Cu status ( 46 ). However, in a recent case–control study conducted by Yang et al, no association was detected between dietary or supplemental Cu intake in mothers during pregnancy and CHDs occurrence in offspring ( 47 ). The results may be interpreted that few pregnant women in the study population had deficient or excessive Cu status.…”

“…For instance, higher serum Zn levels were associated with decreased odds of isolated ventricular septum defects (VSDs) in children ( 50 ). A recent study evaluated the association between maternal dietary or supplementary Zn intake during pregnancy and CHDs risks in offspring ( 47 ). The results showed that higher intake of Zn was associated decreased risks of CHDs in offspring.…”

The effect of living environment on developmental disorders in cold regions

“…Tana et al reported that compared with the control group, exercise reduced the prevalence of the DDs in the offspring of GBD mice by 34.5% [80] . Addition to exercise, intaking trace elements is also one of the available approaches to prevent DDs [81][82][83] . This is owing to the pivotal role of trace elements in retaining redox homeostasis and regulating signal transduction pathways and immune function in healthy growth and development of body [84] .…”