Association of Prenatal Zinc Consumption With Newborn Brain Tissue Organization and Resting Cerebral Blood Flow

Objectives Animal studies have shown that exposure to zinc in the prenatal and postnatal periods is essential for brain structure and functioning in rat pups. Yet, no human studies have examined whether zinc is associated with brain tissue microstructure and metabolism in infants, the basis for neurodevelopmental outcomes. The primary aim of this study was to determine associations of maternal zinc intake in pregnancy with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of brain tissue microstructure and resting cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in newborns. Our secondary aim was to examine associations of maternal zinc intake in lactation with neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants.