Abstract
Introduction. Modern ecological situation considering global environmental pollution by heavy
metals and imbalance of trace elements create preconditions for increasing the frequency of gestational
complications and adverse effect on children’s health throughout all periods of growth
and development, including the intrauterine stage.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of toxic (cadmium, lead) and trace (zinc, copper)
elements in women’s blood during I trimester of uncomplicated and complicated pregnancy
and to assess the signifi cance of their infl uence on the gestational process.
Materials and methods. Investigation of cadmium, lead, zinc and copper content in the blood
of 42 women with uncomplicated pregnancy and 50 women with gestation complicated by anemia
(44.0 %) and threatened abortion (56.0 %) was carried out. Determination of metals was
evaluated by inversion voltammetry method.
Results. The elevated levels of toxic elements were found in all groups of women with complicated
course of pregnancy. The average level of cadmium in the fi rst trimester of gestation was signifi
cantly (p0.05), lead (r=0.12; p>0.05) and zinc (r=-0.22; p>0.05), however, it is signifi cantly
(p<0.05) combined with low concentrations of copper (r=-0.31).
Conclusions. The average levels of toxic metals in the blood of women with complicated gestation
were signifi cantly higher compared to the physiological course of pregnancy, while the content
of trace elements were signifi cantly lower. In the fi rst trimester of gestation, the development
of threatened abortion was combined with high levels of lead and cadmium and low levels
of zinc and copper, and the risk of anemia was correlated with a low concentration of copper in
the blood of pregnant women.