Clinical Investigation

The influence of iron intake to maternal and perinatal outcomes

  • İnci Davas
  • Dilek Marangoz
  • Ahmet Varolan
  • Atıf Akyol
  • Başak Baksu

Turk J Obstet Gynecol 2008;5(3):174-181

OBJECTIVE:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of iron supplementation to maternal, delivery, perinatal outcomes during pregnancy.

METHODS:

A total of 586 pregnant women were divided into group 1 (Hb>11 g/dl, n=152 women), group2 (Hb 9–10.9 g/dl, n=182 women), group 3(Hb 7–8.9 g/dl, n=170 women), group 4 (Hb<7 g%, n=80 women). 394 of these 586 women (67,23%) used iron supplementation (group A), and 192 (32,77%) did not (group B). Their maternal, perinatal and delivery outcomes were noted and analyzed using Chi square or Fisher's exact test for difference in proportions and Student's t-test for testing difference between means.

RESULTS:

The overall prevalance of anemia in this study was 74,1% (Hgb<11gr/dl). The following conditions were significantly associated with iron intake in pregnancy: Duration of labor (6,2±2,12 hours versus 10,2±3,65 hours, p<0,05), labor type, preterm delivery (21,57% versus 4,06%, p<0,05), low birth weight (LBW) (19,29% versus 6,25%, p<0,05), small for gestational age(SGA)( 22,84% versus 9,37%, p<0,05), intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) (21,57%versus 10,41%, p<0,05), meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) (9,64% versus 5,20%, p<0,05), hyperbilirubinemia (7,61% versus 0,41%, p<0,05). Comparison of age, parity, gestational age, birth weight and length, preeclampsia, gestational diabetus mellitus (GDM), postmaturation, respiratory distress syndrome rates (RDS), intrauterine ICU (İntensive care unit) needs were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS:

Iron intake during pregnancy with different levels of prepartum hemoglobin did not influence gestational age, birth weight and length but decrease the rates of preterm delivery, SGA, LBW, IUGR in all groups.

Keywords: Iron supplementation, maternal anemia, maternal and perinatal outcomes