PEDIATRICS Vol. 95 No. 6 June 1995, pp. 879-882
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Low Levels of Selenium in Mothers and Their Newborns in Pregnancies With a Neural Tube Defect

Hüseyin Güvenç MD1, Fikret Karatascedil PhD2, Müzehher Güvenç MD3, Scedileref Kunç PhD2, A. Denizmen Aygün MD4, and Sirri Bektascedil MD4

1 Department of Pediatrics, University of Firat, Elazigbreve, Türkiye
2 Department of Chemistry, University of Firat, Elazigbreve, Türkiye
3 Department of Obstetrics, State Hospital, Elazigbreve, Türkiye
4 Department of Pediatrics, Elazigbreve, Türkiye

Hüseyin Güvenç MD, Firat Universitesi Arastirma Hastanesi, 23200 Elazigbreve, Turkey

Objective. Very few data are presented in the literature about selenium (Se) in human fetal development. The aim of this paper was to study the relationship between maternal and neonatal Se status and neural tube defects (NTDs).

Patients and methods. Serum and hair samples were obtained from 20 nonpregnant women, 32 healthy mothers with normal newborns, and 28 mothers who had a newborn with NTD, and their newborns at delivery. Serum Se levels, as ng/mL, and hair Se levels, as µg/g, were determined on a Perkin-Elmer 1000 spectrophotometer (United Kingdom) by fluorometry.

Results. The mean maternal serum and hair Se concentrations in the NTD group (42.9 ± 1.75 ng/mL, 277 ± 7.73 ng/g, respectively) were significantly lower than those of the control healthy mothers (50.2 ± 2.35 ng/mL, 300 ± 6.10 ng/g, respectively) and the nonpregnant women (58.1 ± 3.12 ng/mL, 315 ± 7.64 ng/g, respectively). A significant decrease in concentrations of Se in serum and hair was observed in newborns with a NTD (26.0 ± 1.55 ng/mL, 181 ± 3.71 ng/g, respectively) compared with healthy newborns (32.6 ± 1.70 ng/mL, 204 ± 4.43 ng/g, respectively).

Conclusions. Maternal Se deficiency during pregnancy was thought to be one of the factors responsible for NTDs. However, the lowered serum and hair Se concentrations may be secondary manifestations of an abnormal pregnancy and did not contribute to its production. More studies on maternal Se status during the antenatal period, especially early gestation and neonatal Se status including normal newborns and NTD infants, are needed.

Submitted on May 23, 1994
Accepted on September 26, 1994




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