Abstract
ABSTRACT. Plasma and urinary zinc levels were examined in 6 infants with fetal alcohol syndrome to determine whether zinc deficiency, if present in fetal alcohol syndrome patients, is secondary to an increased urinary zinc excretion. Six infants born to nonalcoholic mothers served as controls. There was no significant difference in creatinine clearance, urine flow rate, or plasma albumin concentrations between the two groups. Plasma concentrations of zinc were significantly lower in fetal alcohol syndrome patients (62.5 ± 2.8 μg/dl) in comparison to controls (71 ± 1.8 μg/dl), (p=0.0001). Urinary excretion of zinc in fetal alcohol syndrome patients averaged 646 ±125 μg/24 h, significantly higher than in control subjects (76.6 ± 22 μg/24 h), (p=0.0001). Thus (1) lower plasma zinc levels are present in infants with fetal alcohol syndrome and (2) increased urinary zinc excretion appears to be responsible for decreased plasma zinc concentrations.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Assadi, F., Ziai, M. Zinc Status of Infants with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Pediatr Res 20, 551–554 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198606000-00014
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198606000-00014
This article is cited by
-
Effects of folic acid and amino acids supplementation on zinc intestinal absorption in the progeny of ethanol-treated rats
Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry (2000)
-
Fetal alcohol syndrome: the vulnerability of the developing brain and possible mechanisms of damage
Metabolic Brain Disease (1994)
-
Renal tubular dysfunction in fetal alcohol syndrome
Pediatric Nephrology (1990)