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  • Iron Supplementation...

Iron Supplementation in Early Pregnancy may Increase Infection Risk among Iron deficient and Iron sufficient women: Study

Written By : Dr. Shravani Dali |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2025-06-30T20:30:23+05:30  |  Updated On 1 July 2025 12:22 PM IST
Iron Supplementation in Early Pregnancy may Increase Infection Risk among Iron deficient and Iron sufficient women: Study
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Researchers have found in a new study that women with anemia or iron deficiency (ID) in early pregnancy who received daily iron supplementation (~55 mg elemental iron) experienced more gastric and prolonged respiratory infections compared to iron-sufficient women. Notably, iron-sufficient women given the same dose had nearly double the risk of respiratory illness during pregnancy compared to those with iron deficiency anemia (IDE).

Antenatal iron deficiency (ID) and anaemia, but also elevated ferritin and haemoglobin (Hb) have been associated with morbidity during pregnancy. In South Africa, pregnant women receive routine iron supplementation for anaemia prevention regardless of iron status. Our aim was to assess whether iron status at early pregnancy is associated with infectious morbidity and symptoms during pregnancy.

This prospective cohort was conducted in 250 pregnant women at a public maternal and child hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. Biomarkers of maternal iron status at < 18 weeks’ gestation were measured. Women kept a symptoms diary throughout pregnancy. Associations were determined using multivariable regression models.

Results: ID women had 2.6 times greater odds for experiencing gastric illness (OR: 2.642, 95% CI: 1.116, 6.255, p = 0.027). Anaemic women (Hb < 10.5 g/dL) tended to have double the duration of respiratory illness [median 15.5 (5.0, 31.0) days] compared to non-anaemic women [median 8.0 (6.0, 12.1) days], (β: 0.167, 95% CI: -0.007, 0.342, p = 0.060) and had more incidences of vomiting throughout pregnancy (p = 0.028). In the partially adjusted models, iron sufficient erythropoiesis (non-IDE) women tended to have 2.3 times increased odds for respiratory illness (OR: 2.314, 95% CI: 0.939, 5.701, p = 0.068) and there were more incidences of fever during pregnancy in the non-IDE group (p = 0.006).

Anaemic and ID pregnant women in this largely overweight population, receiving ~ 55 mg iron daily, experience more and longer infectious morbidity, potentially related to poor iron absorption. However, although presenting with weaker evidence, iron-sufficient erythropoiesis women at early pregnancy receiving the same routine iron supplementation may have twice the risk to contract infectious respiratory illness than IDE women during pregnancy.

Reference:

Goodchild, C., Symington, E.A., Baumgartner, J. et al. Iron status at early pregnancy is associated with infectious respiratory and gastric illness in women receiving routine iron supplementation: the NuPED prospective cohort. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 25, 657 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-025-07786-8

IronSupplementationEarly PregnancyIncreaseInfectionRiskamongIron deficientIron sufficientwomenStudy
Source : BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
Dr. Shravani Dali
Dr. Shravani Dali

    Dr. Shravani Dali has completed her BDS from Pravara institute of medical sciences, loni. Following which she extensively worked in the healthcare sector for 2+ years. She has been actively involved in writing blogs in field of health and wellness. Currently she is pursuing her Masters of public health-health administration from Tata institute of social sciences. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in.

    Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli
    Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

    Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751

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