Why Babies Experience Stunted Growth In The Uterus- Prof. Afolabi Reveals

According to the nutritionist, while zinc deficiency affects all age groups, women and children are more vulnerable because of the reproductive responsibility of women and the nature of children who are still growing.

Prof. Afolabi who is the President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, says zinc is one of the most important micronutrients required for the growth of the foetus.

Speaking in an interview with PUNCH Healthwise, the nutritionist said zinc deficiency in pregnancy could lead to abnormal growth of babies in the womb and also cause delayed maturation of different organs of the body.

He noted that zinc deficiency in pregnancy has a devastating impact on the growing baby as well as the mother and could lead to poor pregnancy outcomes.

The professor stressed that pregnant women and children were the most vulnerable groups to zinc deficiency.

Prof. Afolabi pointed out that when zinc is deficient, it results in the retardation of the growth of the baby in the uterus.

The nutritionist explained, "The obvious impact of zinc deficiency can be seen in women and children more than any other person. Zinc deficiency in pregnancy can lead to delayed onset of sexual maturation in children. Now, if there is a delay in the onset of sexual maturation, in adult life, it can lead to impotency.

"Zinc is involved in protein synthesis and metabolism. When zinc is deficient, growth will become abnormal in that child.

"Pregnant women must know that when children are growing, different tissues and organs of the body are also involved. So, if they don't have an adequate intake of some of these very essential nutrients like zinc, it leads to delayed maturation of different organs of the body.ÔÇØ

The NSN president stated that when a person has an unexplained weight loss, it may be a result of zinc deficiency also.

Listing other negative outcomes of zinc deficiency in pregnancy, the nutritionist, said, "When it is severe, it can lead to hair loss and diarrhoea. It has been estimated that 80 per cent of women in most developing countries have mild to moderate deficiency of zinc. It also decreases the sense of smell and taste.

"It can also result in open sores on the skin. As you have noticed during this COVID-19, we found out that at a point in time, people started taking zinc tablets because it is required for immune functionality as well as increasing the sense of taste and smell. So, zinc is very important for a pregnant woman.ÔÇØ

Continuing, he noted, "It does not only affect the foetus. It also causes poor pregnancy outcomes leading to low birth weight among pregnant women as well as preterm birth. This is because it can lead to the onset of labour prematurely.ÔÇØ

Prof. Afolabi pointed out that zinc deficiency is linked to high infant mortality because "if we have a high level of preterm babies, the risk of such babies dying before their first birthday is very high.ÔÇØ

He advised pregnant women to consume foods rich in zinc, especially from animal food sources such beef, chicken, egg, and fish.

In a 2019 article published in BioMed Central journal, the authors say at least 17 per cent of the world's population is at risk of inadequate zinc intake with the highest risk occurring in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. BMC is a United Kingdom-based, for-profit scientific open access journal.

According to the authors, in 2011, zinc deficiency accounted for about 116,000 child deaths and 20 per cent of prenatal mortality in the world

"In Africa, zinc deficiency accounted for 14.4 per cent of diarrhoeal deaths, 10.4 per cent of malaria deaths, and 6.7 per cent of pneumonia deaths among children between six months and five years of age. Zinc deficiency ranged from 9.5 per cent in developed countries to 33.5 per cent in developing countries,ÔÇØ the authors said.