Element pattern in blood plasma and whole blood from healthy pregnant women and their newborn infants

Aim: An investigation was done to establish reference values for some bulk and trace elements in blood plasma and whole blood (Pb) of mothers and their newborn infants, to look for interactions of elements, and possible correlations between mother and child were measured. Subjects and methods: Seventy-seven healthy mothers with an uncomplicated pregnancy and their healthy newborns were included in the study. All typical anamnestic data for this specific collective and additional data as smoking habit, drug use, living area, nutrition habit, etc. were collected. Analytical determination of Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Sr was carried out by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, Se and Pb by electrothermal atomic absorption spectroscopy with Zeeman background correction. Results: Highly significant differences were found for Ca, Fe, Cu, and Zn for mother-child pairs. Striking was the highest correlation found for strontium (rp = 0.775). A remarkable correlation was evident for Cu/Pb in the newborn (rp = 0.713). Conclusion: Mother and newborn showed specific element patterns.