Plasma (Pl), erythrocyte (Erc) and 24-h urine (dU) conCentrations of magnesium (Pl-Mg, Erc-Mg, dU-Mg), calcium (total pl-Ca, dU-Ca), phosphorus (Pl-P, dU-P), potassium (Pl-K, Erc-K, dU-K), zinc (Pl-Zn, Erc-Zn), and copper (Pl-Cu) were investigated in insulin-dependent diabetic (IDD) women from before conception until one month after delivery. Cations were measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. Changes in Pl-Cu from the first trimester of gestation (16.3 +/- 4.30 mumol/l) to one month after delivery (19.2 +/- 2.88 mumol/l), with an intermediary result of 34.4 +/- 7.95 mumol/l in the third trimester, were highly significant (P<0.0001). For PI-Mg, Pl-Ca and Pl-Zn, there was a non-significant tendency to decreasing values during gestation and a return to Prepregnancy concentrations after delivery (respective values 0.64 +/- 0.05 vs 0.71 +/- 0.08 mmol/l, 1.66 +/- 0.15 vs 1.79 +/- 0,15 mmol/l and 8.92 +/- 2.31 vs 9.87 +/- 2.01 mumol/l in the third trimester of gestation compared to one month after delivery). On the contrary, there was a non-significant increase of Erc-Zn which was still apparent one month after birth (217 +/- 34.2 mumol/l). Total protein, decreased during pregnancy (63.5 +/- 4.54 g/l during the third tri-ester) and increased after delivery (71.5 +/- 3.67 g/l). This study indicates that with good glycemic control there were only a few slight changes in Mg-, Ca, P-, K-, Zn-, and Cu metabolism in pregnant IDD women relative to normal Pregnant women cited in the literature.
