A daily iron supplement during pregnancy may lead to healthier babies, as scientists say the mineral can have a dramatic impact on the health of newborns, according to Express UK.
Researchers in the U.K. and the U.S. analyzed the results of 92 studies of prenatal iron use and prenatal anemia, involving nearly two million pregnant women. Results suggested that daily iron use during pregnancy is very important, and is crucial in boosting the health of babies. The new study was published on bmj.com.
"It's important to ensure pregnant women have the optimum level of iron, so this research is useful," said Janet Fyle of the Royal College of Midwives.
The researchers concluded that women who took iron supplements during their pregnancies gave birth to bigger and healthier babies. For every 10 milligram increase in an iron dose per day (up to 66 milligrams per day), the risk of maternal anemia was lowered by 12 percent, and birth weight for newborns was increased by .03 pounds (15g), with the risk of low birth weight decreasing by three percent. It was found that i supplements increase expecting mothers' haemoglobin levels, effectively lowering their risk of suffering from anemia.
"If a mother is found to have anemia during pregnancy, she should be advised to take iron supplements, and she should take them regularly," said the study's lead author, Batool A. Haider, a doctoral candidate at the Harvard School of Public Health, the New York Times reports.
Overall, researchers found a significant inverse relationship between the dose of iron taken and the risk of developing maternal anemia in the third trimester. The authors wrote that the results should be interpreted with caution, as there were variations in the studies' methods. For instance, some of the studies analyzed tested the use of iron alone, while others tested the results of a combination of iron and folic acid, which is used routinely to decrease the risk of birth defects.
The World Health Organization (WHO) currently recommends a dose of 60 milligrams a day for pregnant women.
