Biochemical Changes Associated with Protein Energy Malnutrition among Pregnant Women in Enugu Metropolis of Nigeria

Abstract

Serum total protein, albumin, urea, total cholesterol, creatinine and calcium were evaluated in three groups of female subjects as part of an investigation on the biochemical changes associated with protein energy malnutrition (PEM) in pregnant women. The first group were 52 pregnant women with low total protein (<52g/l), the second group were 50 pregnant women with normal total protein (>52g/l) while the third group were 50 non-pregnant, non-lactating, apparently healthy women with normal total protein (>63kg). All the subjects were resident in Enugu metropolis and aged between 20 to 40 years. The pregnant subjects were in different gestational stages of pregnancy, having different parity and attending the antenatal clinic of Parklane Specialist Hospital, Enugu. The results show that there was no significant difference between the mean serum total protein of the different age groups (p>0.05). Parity (ie the number of children had by mother) correlated negatively (p<0.05) with serum total protein, urea, total cholesterol, creatinine and calcium. Gestational stage of pregnancy in trimesters correlated negatively and significantly with serum total protein and serum calcium (p<0.05). The results also revealed that serum total cholesterol did not correlate significantly with serum total protein, urea, total cholesterol, creatinine and calcium (p>0.05 in each case). Urea levels correlated significantly and positively with serum total protein (r = + 0.246, p<0.05), and creatinine (r = +0.275, p<0.05). creatinine correlated positively with serum total protein (r = +0.497,p<0.05), urea (r = +0. 275, p<0.05) and calcium ( r = + 0.356, p<0.05). Calcium negatively and significantly correlated with gestational stage of pregnancy in trimesters (r = -0.288, p<0.05) and correlated positively and significantly with serum total protein (r = + 0.681, p<0.05) and creatinine (r = + 0.0356, p<0.05).

Keywords: Protein energy malnutrition (PEM), Pregnancy, Biochemical, Gestation.