Non-anaemic pregnant women should not take iron supplements

Prescrire Int. 2009 Dec;18(104):261-2.

Abstract

(1) Iron-deficiency anaemia during pregnancy increases the risk of low birth weight and preterm birth; (2) In a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial, iron supplementation in pregnant women with haemoglobin levels of at least 13.2 g/100 ml at the beginning of the 2nd trimester was associated with low birth weight and maternal hypertension; (3) In a trial in women with haemoglobin levels of at least 11.5 g/100 ml who took supplemental iron, haemoglobin levels above 14.5 g/100 ml at 28 weeks of gestation were associated with an 8-fold increase in the risk of preterm birth and a 6-fold increase in the risk of low birth weight; (4) An epidemiological study showed a link between high maternal haemoglobin levels and low birth weight; (5) In practice, iron supplements should not be taken by pregnant women whose haemoglobin levels exceed 11 g/100 ml during the 1st and 3rd trimesters and 10.5 g/100 ml during the 2nd trimester.

MeSH terms

  • Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / drug therapy
  • Contraindications
  • Dietary Supplements / adverse effects*
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Female
  • Folic Acid / administration & dosage
  • Folic Acid / adverse effects*
  • Folic Acid / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Hypertension / chemically induced*
  • Infant, Low Birth Weight
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Iron, Dietary / administration & dosage
  • Iron, Dietary / adverse effects*
  • Iron, Dietary / therapeutic use
  • Obstetric Labor, Premature / chemically induced*
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications / chemically induced*
  • Pregnancy Outcome
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Retrospective Studies

Substances

  • Iron, Dietary
  • Folic Acid