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Several studies have recently examined the link between a woman's diet prior to conception and the health of the fetus. These studies tied certain deficiencies to preterm and poor fetal development risk. In a new study, researchers found that a zinc deficiency before conception can slow down fetal development in mouse models.

For this study, researchers from Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences examined two groups of female mice. The first group was given dietary zinc four to five days before ovulation while the second group did not get any zinc added to their diets at all. The researchers compared fetal development in both groups of mice during days three, six, 10, 12 and 16 of pregnancy. They found that a lack of zinc negatively affects the mice's reproductive functions.

The team reported that mice that were deprived of dietary zinc were more likely to lose their pregnancy. These mice also had embryos that were an average of 38 percent smaller than the mice in the other group. The embryos had delayed or aberrant growth when compared to healthy embryos. The researchers also discovered that in the zinc-deficient group, the mice's placenta was not as developed as the mice's placenta in the other group. Healthy placenta development is vital because the placenta helps transfer nutrients from the mother to the embryo. Without proper nutrients, the fetus will no grow at the normal pace.

"The mineral zinc acts as a catalytic, structural and signaling factor in the regulation of a diverse array of cellular pathways involving hundreds of enzymes and proteins," Francisco Diaz, assistant professor of reproductive biology said according to the press release. "Given these wide-ranging roles, it is not surprising that insufficient zinc during pregnancy causes developmental defects in many species. We have known that for a long time. However, the role of zinc during the preconception period in promoting later development during pregnancy is not clearly understood."

The study was published in Biology of Reproduction.