A woman’s iron needs increase nearly tenfold during pregnancy to support both her own and the fetus’s requirements.
While prenatal iron stores and physiological changes that enhance iron absorption help meet these demands, they may not suffice, particularly for 50% of women who begin pregnancy with low iron levels.
A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has revealed widespread iron deficiency among pregnant women, even in high-resource settings (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Longitudinal evaluation of iron status during pregnancy: a prospective cohort study in a high-resource setting

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Researchers from Ireland found that over 80% of the 641 women studied were iron deficient by the third trimester, despite not being anemic in the first trimester. This deficiency was more prevalent than in some low-resource settings.

Effect of Iron Deficiency During Pregnancy

Iron deficiency, which can lead to anemia, reduces the red blood cells‘ ability to carry oxygen and is associated with adverse outcomes such as preterm birth, low birth weight, postpartum depression, and long-term neurodevelopmental conditions in children.
Currently, screening for iron deficiency during pregnancy is not routine, and there are no universally accepted diagnostic criteria, while the US Preventive Services Task Force finds insufficient evidence to recommend routine screening.

The European Hematology Society and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics advocate for screening all pregnant women in the first trimester and all women of reproductive age, regardless of anemia status.

Ferritin Threshold for Early Iron Deficiency Detection During Pregnancy

The study suggests a ferritin threshold of 60µg/L at 15 weeks as a predictor of iron deficiency later in pregnancy. The authors recommend more comprehensive screening and supplementation strategies to prevent adverse maternal and infant health outcomes.

An accompanying editorial criticized the medical community’s approach to iron deficiency in pregnancy as outdated and called for immediate changes in screening and treatment practices. Further large-scale studies are needed to establish clearer guidelines and improve maternal health outcomes.

Reference:

1. Longitudinal evaluation of iron status during pregnancy: a prospective cohort study in a high-resource setting- (https:www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916524006695?via%3Dihub)

Source-Medindia