Abstract
Objective
This study was to assess the relationship between maternal serum zinc concentration and NTDs in offspring by conducting a meta-analysis.
Methods
We searched Pubmed, Medline and Web of Science for all English studies about the relationship between maternal serum zinc level and NTDs in offspring (published between 1 January 1975 and 1 January 2020). Pooled effect sizes with corresponding 95% CIs were calculated using a random-effect model by Revman 5.3 and Stata 15.1 software.
Results
Eight articles met our selection criteria and a total of 187 cases and 894 controls were included in this meta-analysis. Our results showed that mothers with NTDs infants had lower serum zinc concentration than those with healthy infants (SMD= −0.77, 95%CI [−1.16, −0.37], p = .0001, I2 = 73%).
Conclusions
Compared with mothers with healthy infants, mothers with NTDs infants have lower serum zinc levels, suggesting that low maternal serum zinc level during pregnancy is probably associated with the risk of NTDs in offspring. But the mechanism of the association remains to be ascertained by large-scale cohort studies.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).