Regular low-dose iron best in pregnancy
4 April 2003
South Australian researchers have suggested that all pregnant women should receive low-dose iron supplements if they cannot boost dietary iron intake.
Their study, which has been accepted for publication in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that just 20 mg of iron a day could help to prevent iron deficiency, without any of the gastrointestinal side-effects associated with higher doses.
In Australia, the recommended dietary intake for iron during pregnancy is 22 to 36 mg per day.
Increasing numbers of pregnant Australian women were becoming iron deficient, simply because they were not changing their diet, said lead author Dr Maria Makrides, from the Child Health Research Institute at the Adelaide Women's and Children's Hospital.
'If a woman can't double her iron intake from food, then it would be appropriate to recommend routine low-dose supplements to make sure she is meeting the recommended dietary intake,' Dr Makrides said.
A total of 386 women were involved in the study. Half used a 20 mg daily iron supplement (ferrous sulfate) from 20 weeks of pregnancy to the birth of their baby, while the other half used a placebo (a dummy medication).
The women using the placebo were more likely than women using iron supplements to have iron deficiency and anaemia at the birth of their baby. The number of gastrointestinal side-effects was similar between the groups.
Last Reviewed: 06 April 2003
- 1. Medical Observer Weekly 4/4/03
