Table 3.
Plasma micronutrient status indicators in pregnant women from rural Bangladesh (2007–2010) at first TM, third TM, and 3 months PP by case–control status
| Micronutrient | Controls (N = 40) | Seroconverters (N = 40) | P value* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | ||
| Vitamin D (nmol/L) | |||
| First TM | 41.0 (11.3) | 39.8 (5.97) | 0.57 |
| Third TM | 40.2 (11.1) | 40.6 (13.8) | 0.90 |
| 3 months PP | 41.7 (12.7) | 39.9 (9.45) | 0.48 |
| Retinol† (μmol/L) | |||
| First TM | 1.07 (0.45) | 1.04 (0.31) | 0.74 |
| Third TM | 1.20 (0.35) | 1.06 (0.33) | 0.19 |
| 3 months PP | 1.36 (0.52) | 0.94 (0.36) | 0.02 |
| α-Tocopherol† (μmol/L) | |||
| First TM | 11.5 (4.0) | 12.2 (5.0) | 0.50 |
| Third TM | 19.2 (5.1) | 19.3 (7.0) | 0.95 |
| 3 months PP | 13.3 (4.2) | 9.66 (3.8) | 0.02 |
| Vitamin B6‡ (nmol/L) | |||
| First TM | 18.3 (10.7) | 24.7 (19.7) | 0.08 |
| Third TM | 8.3 (6.3) | 12.5 (11.7) | 0.05 |
| 3 months PP | 35.5 (19.8) | 32.2 (16.0) | 0.42 |
| Vitamin B12 (pmol/L) | |||
| First TM | 205.2 (100.7) | 234.1 (120) | 0.15 |
| Third TM | 147.2 (78.5) | 176.3 (98.2) | 0.13 |
| 3 months PP | 198.4 (128) | 239.0 (131) | 0.17 |
| Folate§ (nmol/L) | |||
| First TM | 20.9 (9.9) | 21.7 (8.6) | 0.68 |
| Third TM | 27.3 (15.1) | 34.4 (21.7) | 0.10 |
| 3 months PP | 38.7 (21.9) | 39.1 (29.5) | 0.95 |
| Zinc (μmol/L) | |||
| First TM | 12.5 (2.3) | 11.5 (2.0) | 0.04 |
| Third TM | 9.72 (1.7) | 9.7 (1.8) | 0.96 |
| 3 months PP | 12.2 (3.1) | 11.0 (2.1) | 0.04 |
| Copper (μmol/L) | |||
| First TM | 22.5 (6.0) | 22.9 (6.0) | 0.80 |
| Third TM | 30.8 (7.2) | 30.9 (6.0) | 0.97 |
| 3 months PP | 21.1 (7.2) | 20.9 (5.5) | 0.90 |
| Selenium (μg/L) | |||
| First TM | 67.9 (16.1) | 67.1 (16.8) | 0.81 |
| Third TM | 66.0 (15.6) | 63.2 (14.6) | 0.42 |
| 3 months PP | 73.6 (16.4) | 67.4 (17.1) | 0.099 |
| Hemoglobin (g/L) | |||
| First TM | 121.2 (8.8) | 117.7 (11.8) | 0.13 |
| Third TM | 111.9 (7.6) | 110.7 (11.4) | 0.59 |
| 3 months PP | 122.6 (6.6) | 120.3 (9.8) | 0.22 |
| Ferritin (μg/L) | |||
| First TM | 76.3 (55.2) | 88.9 (46.8) | 0.27 |
| Third TM | 38.4 (48.2) | 48.2 (39.4) | 0.28 |
| 3 months PP | 56.8 (39.4) | 68.2 (45.1) | 0.23 |
| TfR‖ (μg/L) | |||
| First TM | 5.06 (1.53) | 4.15 (1.57) | 0.08 |
| Third TM | 5.08 (2.04) | 5.24 (2.10) | 0.82 |
| 3 months PP | – | – | – |
| CRP (mg/L) | |||
| First TM | 1.71 (2.79) | 1.58 (2.35) | 0.82 |
| Third TM | 2.42 (6.52) | 2.79 (4.49) | 0.77 |
| 3 months PP | 0.88 (1.14) | 1.95 (3.55) | 0.08 |
| AGP¶ (g/L) | |||
| First TM | 0.741 (0.26) | 0.741 (0.22) | 1.0 |
| Third TM | 0.596 (0.32) | 0.540 (0.21) | 0.36 |
| 3 months PP | 0.935 (0.28) | 0.981 (0.29) | 0.48 |
AGP = α-1-acid glycoprotein; CRP = C-reactive protein; PP = postpartum; TfR = transferrin receptor; TM = trimester; SD = standard deviation.
*
Student's t test comparing seroconverters versus controls.
†
N = 37 seroconverters at first TM; N = 26 controls and 19 seroconverters at third TM; N = 19 controls and 12 seroconverters at 3 months PP.
‡
N = 39 seroconverters and 39 controls at first TM and 3 months PP.
§
N = 39 seroconverters at 3 months PP.
‖
N = 23 controls and 15 seroconverters.
¶
N = 39 controls at third TM.