A new study from the University of Granada has confirmed that low blood levels of copper and zinc in pregnant women may be a factor associated with miscarriage (spontaneous abortion).
Dr. Jesús Joaquín Hijona Elósegui, one of the researchers in the study, points out that “despite the significant progress made in reproductive medicine, spontaneous abortion is still the most frequent complication during pregnancy. It is estimated to affect 15% of pregnant women, mainly during the first trimester. Although most of the time it is not recurring, there is a recurrence of 2 to 5% among women who have already suffered a miscarriage.”
The scientists found that although more than half of the pregnancies (that ended in miscarriage) were planned, only 12% of patients had used the recommended supplements of iodine and folate before attempting pregnancy. These substances have been proven to decrease the rate of abortions and malformations. Furthermore, a third of the women who had a miscarriage reported to be regular smokers and 16.6% consumed coffee regularly at a dose that exceeded the abortifacient and teratogenic threshold. Tobacco and caffeine at high enough doses have been strongly associated with the occurrence of spontaneous abortion.
The number of pregnant women in the Spanish population who suffer a miscarriage has increased gradually, from 10.39% in 2003 to 13.70% in 2010.
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SOURCE: Progresos de Obstetricia y Ginecología (the official journal of the Spanish Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics), in Toko-Ginecología Práctica, and in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. http://canalugr.es/health-science-and-technology/item/52016
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