SERUM COPPER LEVELS IN NORMAL PATHOLOGIC PREGNANCIES

Serum copper levels were determined by a new method of atomic absorption spectroscopy in normal and pathologic pregnancies. The average serum copper in healthy men was 108 μg per cent compared to 129 μg per cent for normal nonpregnant women. The mean value of copper in umbilical cord blood was 55 μg per cent and amniotic fluid 30 μg per cent. In normal pregnancy, the serum copper shows a progressive increase with the advancement of gestation. A decrease is noticed during labor and throughout the puerperium. Serum copper was elevated in cases of toxemia of pregnancy. There is a correlation between the clinical severity and the serum copper level. Hypocupremia seems to us to be an index of placental insufficiency, since it was found in cases of postmaturity, premature rupture of the membranes, and in cases of spontaneous abortion. © 1969.