A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY OF IRON STATUS IN WHITE AND BLACK PREGNANT-WOMEN IN AN URBAN HOSPITAL

Evaluation of the iron status (haemoglobin and ferritin concentrations , and percentage transferrin saturation) in a prospective study of 65 pregnant women (55 white and 10 black) revealed that adequate maternal iron stores during pregnancy cannot be maintained with prevailing die tary patterns. Although 80,6% of the patients had normal indices in th e first trimester, only 12,3% were normal in the third. Significant de pletion of iron stores occurred in the second trimester, but significa nt iron-deficient erythropoiesis only occurred in the third trimester, Despite the decline in iron status, iron deficiency anaemia was only seen in 7 - 8% of the patients, Even after correction for the haemodil ution and increased transferrin concentrations in pregnancy, over 70% of women had depleted iron stores in the third trimester. No beneficia l effect on fetal birth weights was found on withholding of maternal i ron supplementation. This study clearly demonstrated that white and ur ban black pregnant women require iron prophylaxis to maintain iron sto res.