A study of expectant mothers suggests that thin women can significantly increase their chances of bearing bigger babies by taking zinc supplements during pregnancy. Three hundred women who took 25-milligram zinc supplements starting with the 19th week of pregnancy were compared to 250 women who took placebos. All of the women also took a multivitamin-mineral supplement containing no zinc. Babies born to the zinc group weighed five ounces more on average, with the greatest gains among thin women; for example, women in the zinc group who were 5' 4" tall and weighed under 110 pounds had babies one pound heavier, on average, than those born to similar-sized women in the placebo group.

The conclusion drawn in the passage above depends on which of the following assumptions?

Answer Choices

Correct answer marked below

Zinc found in natural sources, such as seafood, nuts, and milk, is not as effective as supplements in increasing a pregnant woman's chances of bearing larger babies.

The first 18 weeks of pregnancy did not play a significant role in the results of the study.

Correct

Zinc supplements have little or no effect on the size of babies born to taller, heavier mothers.

Thin women who take more than 25 milligrams of zinc daily will give birth to even larger infants.

Zinc supplements have a greater effect on the size of babies born to thin women because these women have less zinc stored in their bodies.

See the full step-by-step explanation

You can see the correct answer above. Sign in for free to unlock the complete worked solution.

Track your performance and improve

Get detailed analytics, unlock full explanations, and move up difficulty tiers as you practice.

Start for free Sign in

Explanation

Unlock the full explanation

Create a free account to reveal the correct answer, see the step-by-step explanation, and start tracking your GMAT progress.

Create free account Sign in

Comments

No comments yet

Be the first to share your thoughts and help others understand it better.

What this question tests

What it tests

Whether you can identify the unstated assumption a critical-reasoning argument depends on.

Common trap

Picking an option that strengthens the argument or is merely relevant instead of one that is required.