Prevalence of Iron Deficiency and Iron Deficiency Anemia in the First Trimester of Pregnancy
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anemia in pregnancy. Iron requirements increase to meet the demands of maternal red cell expansion and fetal development. As part of a quality-improvement project, ferritin levels were obtained in all patients (N=1,858) presenting in the first trimester to identify iron deficiency. Anemia (hemoglobin less than 11 g/dL) was present in 75 patients (4.0%, 95% CI, 3.2–5.0) and iron deficiency (ferritin level less than 30 ng/mL) in 757 (40.7%, 95% CI, 38.5–43.0). Hemoglobin was 11 g/dL or higher in 707 (93.4%) patients with iron deficiency. Anemia was present in 25 of 1,101 (2.3%, 95% CI, 1.5–3.3) patients with normal ferritin levels. Additional research is required to determine whether earlier supplementation decreases the incidence of anemia later in pregnancy and improves outcomes.
Source: O&G Open
Authors: Mark W. Tomlinson, Melissa Han, Danylle Kappler
Institution: Providence Health & Services
Language: English
Subfield: Hematology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4413974126