Pre-pregnancy trace element test

Pre-pregnancy trace element examination is a new examination item in recent years. It mainly checks trace elements such as iodine, zinc, manganese, and iron. If these elements are too high or too low, they will have a great impact on the fetus. Iodine deficiency may cause insufficient secretion of thyroid hormones, and sometimes cause cretinism; zinc deficiency may lead to fetal malformations; iron deficiency may cause anemia. Let’s take a closer look at the importance of checking trace elements before pregnancy.

The importance of checking trace elements before pregnancy

1. Iodine: It is an essential element for the synthesis of thyroid hormone. If there is iodine deficiency, it is very likely to cause a decrease in thyroid hormone, which will affect the fetal cerebral cortex responsible for language, hearing, and intellectual development, and may cause the fetus to be induced with cretinism. In current medicine, there is no special quality method that can cure cretinism, so special attention is required. In terms of diet, you can eat more kelp and seaweed, as these foods are rich in iodine.

2. Zinc: Zinc is essential for the metabolism of nucleic acids and proteins in the human body. If zinc is lacking, it will easily affect the development of the embryo on a large scale and cause various fetal malformations. Before and after pregnancy, it is best not to be picky about food. Lean meat, liver, lotus seeds, peanuts and other foods contain zinc. However, it should be noted that you must quit smoking and drinking in the first six months of pregnancy to prevent alcohol from depleting the zinc in your body.

3. Manganese: If the element manganese is lacking, it is easy to cause mental retardation in the baby. Manganese deficiency in the mother will cause deformities in the offspring. More importantly, it has a huge impact on bones, which can easily cause serious joint deformation and will lead to a higher mortality rate. Cereals and vegetables contain manganese, which is needed by humans and is generally not easy to lack. However, a diet mainly consisting of dairy products, meat, rice and noodles in daily life may lead to manganese deficiency. Therefore, pregnant women need to eat more fruits, whole grains, or vegetables.

4. Iron: If the human body lacks iron, it is very likely to cause iron deficiency anemia. If anemia has occurred before pregnancy, the baby's red blood cell volume will be smaller than that of a normal baby and the hemoglobin will also be lower. Therefore, you need to eat more iron-rich foods, such as black fungus, sesame, soybeans, mung beans, and especially animal liver.

Therefore, men also need to prevent the lack of trace elements before pregnancy, and cooperate with women to obtain the required trace elements. Trace elements affect reproductive endocrine function and semen quality to a certain extent.