Effect of maternal anemia on iron status of the new born
Balai, K.S.; Pendse, V.; Gupta, R.; Gupta, S.
Indian Journal of Maternal and Child Health Official Publication of Indian Maternal and Child Health Association 3(2): 54-56
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0970-8928 PMID: 12288489 Document Number: 334958
100 hospitalized parturients were studied; 50 women with a hemoglobin level of less than 10 g% comprised the controls. Serum iron and iron binding capacity estimation of all the parturients and their newborns (cord blood) was done by the standard dimethyl glyoxime method and the modified method of Davis. The hemoglobin of the baby was around 50% higher than the mother's irrespective of the presence of anemia (in the anemic group 8.5 g% mothers vs. 12.5 g% in neonates as compared to the control group, with 10.4 g% in mothers vs. 15.3 g% in neonates). The serum iron values were also much higher in the newborn as compared to the mother, however, the difference was more marked in anemic mothers (55.7 mcg% in mothers vs. 112.6 mcg% in neonates in the anemic group compared to 86.7 mcg% in mothers vs. 139.5 mcg% in neonates in the nonanemic group). The total serum iron binding capacity was less in infants as compared to the mothers. The percentage saturation of iron was much higher in infants as compared to their mothers, and the difference was much more notable in the anemic group (15.8% for mothers and 37.0% for the newborns). The mean serum iron values of the newborn were also much higher than those of the mother in both groups, however, the difference was much more marked in the anemic group, thereby suggesting the selective uptake of iron by the fetus even in anemic parturients (ratio of maternal vs. neonatal serum iron was 1:2.02 in the anemic group as compared to 1:1.6 in the nonanemic group). The selective uptake of iron by the fetus cannot prevent the development of anemia in the newborn, and thus it mandates abundant iron intake by mothers during pregnancy, both in diet and in folic acid supplementation, to prevent the birth of anemic and low birth weight children.