Iron nutritional status in pregnant adolescents, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The frequency of anemia, iron deficiency and iron body stores was assessed in 155 pregnant teenagers of low socioeconomic status in a prenatal care un it of a beneficent hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil. By the criterion of the W orld Health Organization (Hb < 12 g/dL) 14,2% of the pregnant adolescents h ad anemia. The iron deficiency diagnostic by saturation of transferr in < 1 6% and zinc protoporphyrin concentration > 60 (mol/mol heme were 45,8 and 4 2,6%, respectively. The iron body store (serum ferritin < 12 mu g/L) was de pleted for 48,4% of adolescents. it is concluded that the iron nutritional status of these adolescents were characteristics of the pregravidic inadequ ate iron store. Despite low percentage of the anemia, the high frequency of iron deficiency and depleted iron stores suggest a practical procedure to detect iron deficiency and the use of iron supplementation in teenagers.