Prevalence and Risk Factors for Micronutrient Deficiencies During Pregnancy in Cayenne, French Guiana

Prevalence of Micro-nutritional Deficiencies in Pregnant Women Presenting to the Emergency Department for Threatened Delivery

Micronutrient deficiencies are frequent in pregnant women in French Guiana, a French territory in South America. Micronutrient deficiencies are more frequent in precarious women. Obesity is a frequent problem but it is also associated with micronutrient deficiency. Micronutrient deficiencies have largely been overlooked in this outermost European region and should be corrected.

Involved in physical and brain development, immunity and metabolism, micronutrients have profound health effects. The nutritional status of pregnant women is a major determinant of fetal health. French Guiana has a rapid population growth. Social inequalities, cultural practices and gastrointestinal nematode infections in French Guiana could affect the prevalence of these deficiencies. The main objective of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of micronutrient deficiency among pregnant women in French Guiana. The secondary objective was to identify socio-demographic, dietary, obstetrical and neonatal risk factors associated with deficiencies.

Pregnant women over 22 weeks of pregnancy hospitalized for delivery at the Obstetrical Emergency Department of the Hospital Center in Cayenne from May 2018 to March 2019 were included. A socio-demographic and food questionnaire was administered. Medical data were collected from the medical records. Blood and urine samples were taken. The descriptive analysis used Student and Chi2 tests.

A total of 341 women were included. The majority were born in Haiti (39%) and French Guiana (34%). At least one micronutrient deficiency was observed in 81% of women. Precarious women had a significantly greater risk of micronutrient deficiency during pregnancy compared to those with both normal and complementary health insurance.

Micronutrient deficiencies in pregnant women in French Guiana are a public health problem, a fact that was previously overlooked in a context of rising obesity. With over half of women overweight or obese and 81% with at least 1 micronutrient deficiency, balanced nutrition should be a major focus.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Pregnant at least 22 weeks of amenorrhea (WHO threshold for fetal viability)
• Patient hospitalized for delivery in the Gynecological and Obstetrical Emergency Unit at Cayenne hospital
• Patient's consent
• Consent of the legal representative if the patient is a minor

Exclusion Criteria:

• Refusalto participate in the study.
• Being under guardianship or curatorship
• Having been previously enrolled in the study