Cord Blood Zinc Protoporphyrin/Heme Ratio in Minority Neonates at Risk for Iron Deficiency

We measured cord blood zinc protoporphyrin/heme (ZnPP/H) and plasma ferritin in healthy African-American and Hispanic newborns, matched by gestation with Caucasian newborns. In these at-risk minorities, cord ZnPP/H was higher and plasma ferritin lower, supporting the feasibility of screening newborns at-risk for iron deficiency at birth.

Abbreviations: CRP, C-reactive protein, MCV, Mean cell volume, MCHC, Mean cell hemoglobin concentration, RDW, Red cell distribution width, ZnPP/H, Zinc protoporphyrin/heme