The Oral Iron on the Prevention of Iron Deficiency Anemia in Obese Pregnant
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2022-08-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Anemia is known as a condition in which the hemoglobin level is lower than normal. Anemia is
one of the most common complications during pregnancy. Anemia in pregnancy is defined as a
hemoglobin level < 110 g/L . Anemia is an important risk factor in pregnancy which leads to
both maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality.
The pregnant woman needs more iron during pregnancy, so iron deficiency anemia is very common
during pregnancy. In Egypt; iron deficiency anemia affects about one in every two pregnant
women, especially in rural areas. Pregnant women require about 27 mg/day elemental iron to
cover their increased need. The pregnant women should start taking a daily supplement of 30mg
of elemental iron as a preventive measure against iron deficiency anemia especially in poor
countries.
Obesity is defined as having an excessive amount of body fat. The body mass index, a
measurement based on height and weight, determines the obese if the figure more than 30
kg/m2. There is an increased rate of overweight and obesity among pregnant women. According
to the World Health Organization, 46% of adult females in Egypt are obese.
Many researches in the literature revealed a strong relationship between high BMI in
pregnancy and iron deficiency anemia. Hepcidin is an iron regulating hormone in the body.
Increases in iron levels in the plasma stimulate the production of hepcidin, which blocks
iron absorption from the diet, so; hepcidin production is suppressed in the case of iron
deficiency.