Serum ferritin in pregnancy: the effect of iron supplementation

Comparison of tests for diagnosis of iron depletion in pregnancy

The serum ferritin level was used to diagnose iron depletion in 137 pregnant patients who came to an inner-city hospital outpatient clinic. Seventy-three patients (53.3%) had ferritin levels less than 20 micrograms/L, indicating iron depletion. The prevalence of iron depletion was 29% in the first trimester, 64% in the second trimester, and 71% in the third trimester (p less than 0.001). The sensitivities of serum iron (2.8%), transferrin saturation (12.5%), mean corpuscular volume (6.8%), and red cell distribution width (16.4%) were too low for screening or diagnosing iron depletion and deficiency. Serum ferritin level should be used to screen for and diagnose iron depletion and deficiency in pregnancy.

Anaemia and iron status of pregnant and non-pregnant women in the guinea savanna of Nigeria

Haemoglobin concentration, serum iron, iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation, free erythrocyte protoporphyrin and serum ferritin (SF) were measured in 66 elite non-pregnant and 95 pregnant (27 elite and 68 non-elite) Nigerian women at Zaria, in the guinea savanna. Anaemia (as defined) was observed in 46% non-pregnant, 37% pregnant elite and 52% pregnant non-elite women. Iron deficiency (as defined) was diagnosed in 54, 30 and 25%, respectively. The mean SF in pregnant elite (28.9 micrograms l-1 was lower, but not significantly, than in pregnant non-elite women (33.6 micrograms l-1, either because of less inflammatory disease or because of more iron deficiency. The prevalence of anaemia tended to fall with increasing parity, being 52% in primigravidae and 40% in grande-multigravidae; this was probably due to greater risk of malaria-induced anaemia in primigravidae. In contrast, prevalence of iron deficiency increased with parity, being 18 and 35%, respectively, in primigravidae and grande-multigravidae. Anaemia and iron deficiency were seen most frequently in the third trimester. Pregnant women in the north of Nigeria require iron supplements irrespective of socioeconomic status or maternal parity.

Observations on the iron status during pregnancy in rats. Iron transport from mother to fetus

The objective of the present study was to investigate a transfer of liver iron in rats from mother to fetus during pregnancy. A decrease in maternal liver iron and an increase in fetal liver iron, in groups of 10 rats, have been shown, based on iron analysis and specific activity of 59Fe.