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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the status of dietary zinc and serum zinc and copper concentrations on the risk of fetal loss in 570 cows. Three herds received no supplements (herds 1, 3, 4), while cows in herd 2 received supplements of either 7 g zinc week− (n = 118), as zinc methionine, or a control diet containing methionine (n = 128). Serum zinc, copper and metallothionein concentrations were determined once a month throughout gestation. Logistic regression and survival analysis were used to examine for associations between risk of fetal loss and serum zinc, copper, copper:zinc, or metallothionein concentrations, supplement level, and maternal age at conception. The risk of fetal loss increased when both serum zinc decreased and copper concentrations increased (P< 0.0001; relative risk = 10.28, 95% confidence intervals = 4.69, 22.5). The attributable risk, for a decline in the zinc concentration by 10 μmol l−1 and an increase in the copper concentration by 5 μmol l−1 was 90.27%. Methionine-supplemented cows had a higher risk of fetal loss compared with zinc-methionine-supplemented cows (one-tailed P = 0.0375; relative risk = 2.98). Cows in herds 1, 3 and 4 had a higher risk for abortion than did zinc-methionine-supplemented cows in herd 2 (relative risk = 26.27, 95% confidence intervals = 2.31, 299.38; relative risk = 40.87, 95% confidence intervals = 3.50, 458.43; relative risk = 41.53, 95% confidence intervals = 3.77, 457.02, respectively). Our results suggest that inflammation and zinc nutriture may play an important role in fetal loss in dairy cows.
