Serum Calcium Level in Pregnancy: A Case Study

Abstract

Calcium plays a key role in many fundamental biologic processes and it is an essentials dietary element. This is a cross sectional study aimed at establishing a reference value of serum calcium among pregnant women in Yenagoa–Bayelsa State – Nigeria. Eighty healthy pregnant women between the gestational age of 8 to 34 weeks attending antenatal clinic in Federal Medical Centre Yenagoa and eighty non-pregnant women served as control. Blood samples were collected by venipuncture and analyzed calorimetrically using O-cresolpthalein complexone method. The results showed that serum calcium in pregnant and non-pregnant women were 1.85+0.03 and 2.23+0.00mmol/L respectively. There was a significant difference between serum calcium level in pregnant and non-pregnant women (p<0.05).

Keywords: Serum calcium, Pregnant, Non-pregnant.

Nigerian Journal of Health and Biomedical Sciences Vol. 7 (2) 2008: pp. 42-43