IRON STATUS IN PREGNANT SAUDI-ARABIAN WOMEN IN THE JEDDAH AREA

Objective: To investigate the iron status of pregnant Saudi Women livi ng in the Jeddah area. Design: The iron status was assessed by measuri ng haematological parameters (haemoglobin, haematocrit, mean corpuscul ar volume and mean corpuscular haemoglobin) and biochemical parameters (serum ferritin, serum iron, total iron binding capacity and transfer rin saturation). Setting: Al-Shati Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Sub jects: 11.9 pregnant women were introduced into the study when they we re at 20-24 weeks of gestation (mid-pregnancy). Of these, 72 women wer e followed up at late pregnancy (36-40 weeks). Results: The mean serum ferritin level at mid pregnancy was 17.3 +/- 1.8 ng/ml which was not significantly different from that at late pregnancy (17.9 +/- 2.0 ng/m l). No significant difference was seen in the concentration of serum i ron in the women between mid (63.5 +/- 1.8 mug/dl) and late (64.8 +/- 3.0 mug/dl) pregnancy. The mean serum level of haemoglobin between mid (11.6 +/- 0.1 g/dl) and late (11.9 +/- 0.2 g/dl) pregnant women was n ot significantly different. The mean level of haematocrit was signific antly increased at late pregnancy (p < 0.05), as were folic acid and t otal iron binding capacity (p < 0.001); whereas transferrin saturation was significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Through measurem ent of different biochemical and haematological parameters which were compared with the international cut-off levels, the prevalence of iron deficiency was recognizable among the pregnant Saudi women which coul d probably be due either to the nutritional status or to the small dos e of iron therapy given.