Planning for pregnancy

Pregnant women need iron, but not the side effects

(NC) - Iron deficiency and intolerance to iron tablets are common among pregnant women. Earlier studies report 35 per cent of women as being iron deficient (serum ferritin below 12 g/L during the first trimester of pregnancy, rising to 86 per cent in the third trimester. Iron stores can be depleted even further following childbirth, when over 500 mL of blood can be lost during an uncomplicated normal vaginal delivery, rising to 1000 mL during delivery of twins or by caesarean section. Low maternal iron stores can also lead to iron deficiency in newborn babies and can adversely affect the baby's birth weight. The availability of effective and well-tolerated iron supplements is therefore important.

Spatone is the first iron supplement to actually have clinical trials conducted. The study was done by a team of obstetric researchers at the Royal-Jubilee Maternity Service and investigated the tolerability, compliance and change in iron levels among 102 randomly selected expectant mothers from 22 to 28 weeks gestation who had not taken prophylactic iron tablets, as prescribed by the hospital, from 18 weeks of pregnancy onwards. According to Dr. Dan McKenna, who headed up the research team, the results are noteworthy.

The researchers found that the use of this iron rich mineral water during pregnancy helps to prevent iron deficiency without the commonly experienced gastro-intestinal side effects associated with ingestion of iron tablets.

More information on this topic is available online at www.martinandpleasance.com.

Courtesy News Canada