It is not known for sure why the loss of a pregnancy occurs. It is related to various factors, from genetics to stress. An investigation addresses a new hypothesis ensuring that low levels of zinc and copper in pregnant women could be associated with spontaneous abortion.
Scientists from the University of Granada studied the cases of 265 women, of which 132 had suffered a miscarriage in the last year and the rest were pregnant.
An ultrasound was performed, a blood sample was analyzed and a questionnaire was answered. The results showed that differences in maternal plasma concentrations of copper and zinc were found between those who had suffered an abortion and those who remained pregnant. Deficiency of one or both trace elements It was related to the occurrence of spontaneous abortion.
Other interesting data that relate the miscarriage with drugs, tobacco and coffee have also been collected. 81 percent of the 132 participants who did not reach the end of pregnancy had used a drug and 13.6 percent were exposed to medications advised against by specialists.
In addition, one third of the women who aborted had declared themselves habitual smokers and 16.6 percent consumed coffee above the recommended dose.
On the other hand, it was known that most of the pregnancies that ended in abortion (64 percent) had been planned, however only 12 percent of the pregnant women had taken iodine and folate supplements (folic acid) before seeking pregnancy, substances that have been shown to decrease the rate of abortions and malformations.
Spontaneous abortion is the most frequent complication of pregnancy, and although we still do not know why it occurs, we have indications of how to try to avoid it, among which food seems to play an important role.
The interesting thing about the study conducted by researchers from the University of Granada is that, as they themselves say "Low levels of zinc and copper are correctable disorders through simple dietary-pharmacological measures".
