Author
Merlin Margreth Maelissa ^1,2, Anita Deborah Anwar² , Johanes Cornelius Mose² , Sofie Rifayani Krisnadi², Marliyati Sanaky¹ , Arlen Resnawaldi¹ , Udin Sabarudin² , Akhmad Yogi Pramatirta² and Adhi Pribadi²

Affiliations

¹Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Pattimura University, Ambon 97233, Indonesia ² Maternal Fetal Medicine Division, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Padjadjaran; Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Bandung 40161, Indonesia

Background

• Preeclampsia is a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality, often influenced by maternal nutrition.

• Calcium and zinc are essential micronutrients thought to help prevent preeclampsia.

Methods

• A case-control study assessed calcium and zinc levels in 120 pregnant women in Ambon City (60 with preeclampsia, 60 without) between June and October 2024.

• Seafood consumption habits were also recorded for all participants.

Key Results

• Women with preeclampsia had lower calcium levels than those without, especially those eating fewer than four pieces of sea fish per day.

• Preeclamptic women were over 10 times more likely to have low calcium levels.

• Zinc levels showed no significant difference between groups.

Discussion & Conclusion

• Higher fish consumption is linked to higher calcium levels in pregnant women, which may help lower preeclampsia risk, while zinc intake appears unaffected by fish consumption.

• These local findings from Ambon City contribute to the broader understanding of maternal nutrition and preeclampsia prevention.

Related SDGs

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being – supports better maternal health outcomes by reducing pregnancy complications.

SDG 2: Zero Hunger – supports better maternal nutrition strategies during pregnancy.

Journal Information

Journal: BMC Research Notes

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-026-07662-4