A recent study found 4 in 5 pregnant women will have iron deficiency by their third trimester.
The study, published Sept. 26 in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, analyzed iron levels in 641 women at 15 weeks, 20 weeks and 33 weeks of gestation.
Researchers found the presence of iron deficiency increased throughout pregnancy, with 20.7% being iron deficient at 15 weeks, 43.7% at 20 weeks and 83.8% at 33 weeks. They also found women with a ferritin threshold of less than 60 micrograms per liter at 15 weeks predicted the presence of iron deficiency at 33 weeks.
Using iron-containing supplements in pre-pregnancy and early pregnancy decreased the risk of deficiency throughout the pregnancy. The researchers, from Minneapolis-based University of Minnesota and University College Cork in Ireland, recommend women in early pregnancy be screened for iron status.