Objective: To compare the mineral levels in umbilical vein and artery serum and to analyze the relationship between newborn birth weight and the mineral levels in umbilical vein and artery serum by measuring the mineral levels in umbilical vein and artery serum.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to recruit 101 pairs of maternal and newborn who were hospitalized in Danyang People's Hospital, Jiangsu Province from June to September 2021 as the participants. After delivery, umbilical vein and artery blood were collected, and the levels of manganese(Mn), iron(Fe), cobalt(Co), copper(Cu), zinc(Zn), selenium(Se), magnesium(Mg) and calcium(Ca) in umbilical vein and artery serum were detected by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrum(ICP-MS). The serum mineral levels of umbilical artery and vein were compared by matching method, and logistic regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between birth weight and mineral levels in umbilical artery and vein serum.
Results: The levels of Se, Mg and Ca in umbilical vein were higher than those in umbilical artery, but the levels of Mn and Fe were lower(P<0.05). After adjusting serum albumin, the level of Ca in umbilical vein was higher than that in umbilical artery and the levels of Mn, Fe and Zn were lower(P<0.05). Compared among different birth weight groups, the levels of Zn and Ca in umbilical vein serum in the small for gestational age(SGA) group were lower than those in the appropriate for gestational age(AGA) group and the larger for gestational age(LGA) group(P<0.05), and the level of Cu in umbilical artery serum was higher in the LGA group(P=0.059). The result of multivariate analysis showed that compared with the AGA group, high levels of Mn in umbilical artery serum were negatively correlated with LGA(OR=0.15, P=0.040), while other minerals were not statistically correlated with birth weight.
Conclusion: There are differences in mineral content between umbilical vein and umbilical artery. Mineral levels in umbilical arterial/venous serum were correlated with birth weight.
Keywords: birth weight; cross sectional studies; minerals; umbilical cord.