Introduction Deficiencies of trace elements like zinc and copper have been implicated in various reproductive events like preterm labour, premature rupture of membrane and low birth weight, among others. Preterm labour is defined as onset of regular uterine contraction associated with progressive cervical change between age of viability and 37 completed weeks of gestation1 Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the association between maternal serum zinc and copper levels and preterm labour in pregnant women who delivered at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos. Methods This was a case-control study involving 100 women with singleton pregnancy in active phase of labour recruited from labour ward. Cases were 50 pregnant women with preterm labour between 28 and 36 weeks gestation while 50 term pregnancies between 37 and 40 weeks gestation were the controls. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) was used to determine the serum level of maternal zinc and copper in the subjects. Data analysis was performed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 22. Chi square were used to explore associations for categorical variables between the groups, Odd Ratio was also used to assess strength of relationship between the cases and controls, continuous variables between the groups were compared using Student’s t-test. Significant level was set at 0.05.