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Iron supplementation during pregnancy - a cross-sectional study undertaken in four German states.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Iron deficiency but also iron overload during pregnancy has been associated with unwanted health effects. In Germany, iron supplements are only recommended for pregnant women with diagnosed iron deficiency/anaemia. Prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women was reported at 24.4% in 2011. However, limited data suggest that more than 60% of women in Germany use iron supplements during gestation. Against this background, we investigated the prevalence of iron supplement intake among pregnant women and explored determining factors in order to assess whether women are following the advice to only supplement iron in case of a diagnosed iron deficiency/anaemia. METHODS:A cross-sectional study was carried out in four German states in 2015 where, with the help of midwives, women in childbed were asked to retrospectively answer a questionnaire about iron intake from various sources and reasons for supplementing iron during their recent pregnancy. We used Chi-square-tests and logistic regression analysis to evaluate associations between iron supplementation and other nutritional, sociodemographic and maternal variables and to assess attitudes of women meeting versus not meeting the official recommendation on iron supplement intake during pregnancy. RESULTS:Of 207 participants, 65.2% had supplemented iron. 84.4% reported to have done this because of a diagnosed iron deficiency/anaemia. Iron intake ranged from 5 to 200?mg/day, and duration of supplementation varied between two weeks and throughout gestation. Of women who reported to have been diagnosed with iron deficiency/anaemia, 47.5% had supplemented ?80?mg/day iron, while 26.2% had taken iron in lower amounts ?40?mg/day. Six percent of the participating women had not supplemented iron in spite of a diagnosed iron deficiency/anaemia, whereas 19.7% of women without iron deficiency/anaemia still had supplemented iron (range: 7 to 80?mg/day). CONCLUSION:The majority of pregnant women used iron supplements in case of a diagnosed iron deficiency/anaemia. However, not all women with iron deficiency/anaemia supplemented (sufficient amounts of) iron, while there was also indiscriminate use of iron supplements in women without iron deficiency/anaemia. Further research is warranted to confirm these findings in representative samples.

SUBMITTER: Demuth IR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6293639 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Iron supplementation during pregnancy - a cross-sectional study undertaken in four German states.

Demuth Irmela Rosina IR Martin Annett A Weissenborn Anke A

BMC pregnancy and childbirth 20181213 1

<h4>Background</h4>Iron deficiency but also iron overload during pregnancy has been associated with unwanted health effects. In Germany, iron supplements are only recommended for pregnant women with diagnosed iron deficiency/anaemia. Prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women was reported at 24.4% in 2011. However, limited data suggest that more than 60% of women in Germany use iron supplements during gestation. Against this background, we investigated the prevalence of iron supplement intake am ...[more]

PMID: 30545329

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Project description:BackgroundIron and folic acid supplementation has been the preferred intervention to improve iron stores and prevent anaemia among pregnant women, and it may also improve other maternal and birth outcomes.ObjectivesTo assess the effects of daily oral iron supplements for pregnant women, either alone or in conjunction with folic acid, or with other vitamins and minerals as a public health intervention.Search methodsWe searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (2 July 2012). We also searched the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (2 July 2012) and contacted relevant organisations for the identification of ongoing and unpublished studies.Selection criteriaRandomised or quasi-randomised trials evaluating the effects of oral preventive supplementation with daily iron, iron + folic acid or iron + other vitamins and minerals during pregnancy.Data collection and analysisWe assessed the methodological quality of trials using standard Cochrane criteria. Two review authors independently assessed trial eligibility, extracted data and conducted checks for accuracy.Main resultsWe included 60 trials. Forty-three trials, involving more than 27,402 women, contributed data and compared the effects of daily oral supplements containing iron versus no iron or placebo.Overall, women taking iron supplements were less likely to have low birthweight newborns (below 2500 g) compared with controls (8.4% versus 10.2%, average risk ratio (RR) 0.81; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.68 to 0.97, 11 trials, 8480 women) and mean birthweight was 30.81 g greater for those infants whose mothers received iron during pregnancy (average mean difference (MD) 30.81; 95% CI 5.94 to 55.68, 14 trials, 9385 women). Preventive iron supplementation reduced the risk of maternal anaemia at term by 70% (RR 0.30; 95% CI 0.19 to 0.46, 14 trials, 2199 women) and iron deficiency at term by 57% (RR 0.43; 95% CI 0.27 to 0.66, seven trials, 1256 women). Although the difference between groups did not reach statistical significance, women who received iron supplements were more likely than controls to report side effects (25.3% versus 9.91%) (RR 2.36; 95% CI 0.96 to 5.82, 11 trials, 4418 women), particularly at doses 60 mg of elemental iron or higher. Women receiving iron were on average more likely to have higher haemoglobin (Hb) concentrations at term and in the postpartum period, but were at increased risk of Hb concentrations greater than 130g/L during pregnancy and at term. Twenty-three studies were conducted in countries that in 2011 had some malaria risk in parts of the country. In some of these countries/territories, malaria is present only in certain areas or up to a particular altitude. Only two of these reported malaria outcomes. There is no evidence that iron supplementation increases placental malaria. For some outcomes heterogeneity was higher than 50%.Authors' conclusionsPrenatal supplementation with daily iron are effective to reduce the risk of low birthweight, and to prevent maternal anaemia and iron deficiency in pregnancy. Associated maternal side effects and particularly high Hb concentrations during pregnancy at currently used doses suggest the need to update recommendations on doses and regimens for routine iron supplementation.

Project description:BackgroundPhysician rating websites (PRWs) allow patients to rate, comment, and discuss physicians' quality. The ability of PRWs to influence patient decision making and health care quality is dependent, in part, on sufficient awareness and usage of PRWs. However, previous studies have found relatively low levels of awareness and usage of PRWs, which has raised concerns about the representativeness and validity of information on PRWs.ObjectiveThe objectives of this study were to examine (1) participants' awareness, use, and contribution of ratings on PRWs and how this compares with other rating websites; (2) factors that predict awareness, use, and contribution of ratings on PRWs; and (3) participants' attitudes toward PRWs in relation to selecting a physician.MethodsA mailed cross-sectional survey was sent to a random sample (N=1542) from four North German cities (Nordhorn, Hildesheim, Bremen, and Hamburg) between April and July 2016. Survey questions explored respondents' awareness, use, and contribution of ratings on rating websites for service (physicians, hospitals, and hotels and restaurants) and products (media and technical) in general and the role of PRWs when searching for a new physician.ResultsA total of 280 completed surveys were returned (280/1542, 18.16% response rate), with the following findings: (1) Overall, 72.5% (200/276) of respondents were aware of PRWs. Of the respondents who were aware of PRWs, 43.6% (86/197) had used PRWs. Of the respondents who had used PRWs, 23% (19/83) had rated physicians at least once. Awareness, use, and contribution of ratings on PRWs were significantly lower in comparison with all other rating websites, except for hospital rating websites. (2) Except for the impact of responders' gender and marital status on the awareness of PRWs and responders' age on the use of PRWs, no other predictors had a relevant impact. (3) Whereas 31.8% (85/267) of the respondents reported that PRWs were a very important or somewhat important information source when searching for a new physician, respondents significantly more often reported that family, friends and colleagues (259/277, 93.5%), other physicians (219/274, 79.9%), and practice websites (108/266, 40.6%) were important information sources.ConclusionsWhereas awareness of German PRWs appears to have substantially increased, the use of PRWs and contribution of ratings remains relatively low. Further research is needed to examine the reasons why only a few patients are rating physicians. However, given the information inequality between provider and consumer will always be higher for consumers using the services of physicians, it is possible that people will always rely more on interpersonal recommendations than impersonal public information before selecting a physician.

Project description:Abstract Objectives Vitamin D may have an adjunctive role in the prevention and treatment of iron deficiency (ID) through its proposed role in the regulation of erythropoiesis and circulating hepcidin concentrations. Observational studies have shown associations between low vitamin D and iron status; however, there are few data from intervention trials. In participants of the Maternal Vitamin D for Infant Growth Trial (MDIG; NCT01924013), among whom the baseline prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 64%, we examined the effect of prenatal vitamin D supplementation on iron status during pregnancy by testing the effect of vitamin D supplementation on serum ferritin concentrations. Methods In this double-blind, dose-response, randomized trial in Dhaka, Bangladesh, women were recruited at 17–24 weeks’ gestation and randomly assigned to receive a prenatal vitamin D3 dose of 4200, 16,800, 28,000 IU/week or placebo. Serum ferritin was quantified using an electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay. Plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) was analysed by enzyme-linked immunoassay. Linear regression was used to test the hypothesized effect of vitamin D supplementation on serum ferritin (n = 1011 of 1300 enrolled). In a sensitivity analysis, we adjusted for concurrent CRP to correct for inflammation (n = 920). Regression correction was used to generate an inflammation-corrected estimate of the prevalence of ID (n = 920). Results Prevalence of ID (serum ferritin <15 µg/L) was high overall (27% corrected for inflammation; 12% uncorrected). Geometric mean (95% confidence interval) serum ferritin concentrations were lower in each of the vitamin D supplementation groups [43.1 (38.1, 48.7), 44.8 (40.4, 49.7) and 45.1 (41.5, 49.1) µg/L in the 4200, 16,800 and 28,000 IU/week groups, respectively] compared to the placebo group [50.3 µg/L (45.0, 56.2)], although none of the pairwise differences between each vitamin D group and placebo were statistically significant at the P < 0.05 threshold. Adjusting for CRP did not change the inferences. Conclusions In a population with concurrently high prevalence rates of iron and vitamin D deficiency, prenatal vitamin D supplementation did not lead to improvements in iron status by late gestation. The possibility of a negative effect of vitamin D supplementation on iron status should be further explored. Funding Sources The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Project description:OBJECTIVES:To report the situation of maternal micronutrient supplementation before and during pregnancy in Northwest China and to examine the rates of and factors related to the adherence to micronutrient supplementation among pregnant women in this region, where dietary micronutrient intake is commonly insufficient. DESIGN:A large-scale population-based cross-sectional survey. SETTING:Twenty counties and ten districts of Shaanxi Province. PARTICIPANTS:A sample of 30 027 women were selected using a stratified multistage random sampling method. A total of 28 678 women were chosen for the final analysis after excluding those who did not provide clear information about nutritional supplementation before and during pregnancy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Maternal adherence to micronutrient supplementation (high and low) were the outcomes. They were determined by the start time and duration of use according to Chinese guidelines (for folic acid (FA) supplements) and WHO recommendations (for iron, calcium and multiple-micronutrient (MMN) supplements). RESULTS:In total, 83.9% of women took at least one kind of micronutrient supplement before or during pregnancy. FA (67.6%) and calcium (57.5%) were the primarily used micronutrient supplements; few participants used MMN (14.0%) or iron (5.4%). Adherence to supplementation of all micronutrients was low (7.4% for FA, 0.6% for iron, 11.7% for calcium and 2.7% for MMN). Higher educational levels, higher income levels, urban residence and better antenatal care (including pregnancy consultation and a higher frequency of antenatal visits) were associated with high adherence to micronutrient supplementation. CONCLUSION:Maternal micronutrient supplementation before and during pregnancy in Northwest China was way below standards recommended by the Chinese guidelines or WHO. Targeted health education and future nutritional guidelines are suggested to improve this situation, especially in pregnant women with disadvantaged sociodemographic conditions.

Project description:INTRODUCTION: Iron deficiency is the most prevalent nutrient deficiency in the world, particularly during pregnancy. According to the literature, anemia, particularly severe anemia, is associated with increased risk of maternal mortality. It also puts mothers at risk of multiple perinatal complications. Numerous studies in the past have evaluated the impact of supplementation with iron and iron-folate but data regarding the efficacy and quality of evidence of these interventions are lacking. This article aims to address the impact of iron with and without folate supplementation on maternal anemia and provides outcome specific quality according to the Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group (CHERG) guidelines. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of published randomized and quasi-randomized trials on PubMed and the Cochrane Library as per the CHERG guidelines. The studies selected employed daily supplementation of iron with or without folate compared with no intervention/placebo, and also compared intermittent supplementation with the daily regimen. The studies were abstracted and graded according to study design, limitations, intervention specifics and outcome effects. CHERG rules were then applied to evaluate the impact of these interventions on iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy. Recommendations were made for the Lives Saved Tool (LiST). RESULTS: After screening 3550 titles, 31 studies were selected for assessment using CHERG criteria. Daily iron supplementation resulted in 73% reduction in the incidence of anemia at term (RR = 0.27; 95% CI: 0.17 - 0.42; random effects model) and 67% reduction in iron deficiency anemia at term (RR = 0.33; 95% CI: 0.16 - 0.69; random model) compared to no intervention/placebo. For this intervention, both these outcomes were graded as 'moderate' quality evidence. Daily supplementation with iron-folate was associated with 73% reduction in anemia at term (RR = 0.27; 95% CI: 0.12 - 0.56; random model) with a quality grade of 'moderate'. The effect of the same intervention on iron deficiency anemia was non-significant (RR = 0.43; 95% CI: 0.17 - 1.09; random model) and was graded as 'low' quality evidence. There was no difference in rates of anemia at term with intermittent iron-folate vs. daily iron-folate supplementation (RR = 1.61; 95% CI: 0.82 -3.14; random model). CONCLUSION: Applying the CHERG rules, we recommend a 73% reduction in anemia at term with daily iron (alone) supplementation or iron/folate (combined) vs. no intervention or placebo; for inclusion in the LiST model. Given the paucity of studies of intermittent iron or iron-folate supplementation, especially in developing countries, we recommend further evaluation of this intervention in comparison with daily supplementation regimen.

Project description:BackgroundAntenatal multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) with iron, folic acid, and other micronutrients might improve birth outcomes, but it is not currently universally recommended by WHO.MethodsIn this observational cohort study, we surveyed pregnancies for adverse birth outcomes at eight hospitals from July, 2014, to July, 2018, and 18 hospitals from August, 2018, to December, 2020, in Botswana to assess four routine supplementation strategies in women presenting before 24 weeks' gestation: folic acid only, iron only, iron and folic acid supplementation (IFAS), and MMS. Women with singleton pregnancies; a known HIV status, age, and delivery site; haemoglobin measured within 7 days of presenting to antenatal care; and weight measured within 31 days of presenting to care were included in our analysis. Data were abstracted from the maternity obstetric record (a record of antenatal care) at the time of birth from all women giving birth at selected hospitals throughout the country. We estimated risk differences overall and in key subgroups, adjusting for demographic and clinical factors.FindingsBetween July 6, 2014, and Dec 8, 2020, 96 341 eligible women (21 659 [22·5%] of whom had HIV) were included in the study. 36 334 (37·7%) women initiated iron only supplementation, 1133 (11·8%) initiated folic acid only supplementation, 23 101 (24·0%) initiated IFAS, and 31 588 (32·8%) women initiated MMS. Women who initiated iron only and folic acid only supplementation had higher risks of stillbirth, preterm birth, very preterm birth, low and very low birthweight, and neonatal death compared with women who received IFAS (adjusted risk differences for iron only supplementation vs IFAS ranged from 0·22% [95% CI 0·04 to 0·40] for neonatal death to 2·39% [1·78 to 3·00] for preterm birth; and adjusted risk differences for folic acid only supplementation vs IFAS ranged from 0·77% [-0·80 to 2·34] for neonatal death to 5·75% [1·38 to 10·13] for preterm birth), with greater difference in women with HIV and those aged 35 years and older. Compared with IFAS, women who initiated MMS had lower risks of preterm and very preterm births, and low and very low birthweight (adjusted risk differences ranged from -0·50% [-0·77 to 0·23] for very preterm birth to -1·06% [-1·69 to -0·42] for preterm birth).InterpretationNationwide data from Botswana support improved birth outcomes with MMS compared with IFAS.FundingNational Institutes of Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Dataset Information

Iron supplementation during pregnancy - a cross-sectional study undertaken in four German states.

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Iron supplementation during pregnancy - a cross-sectional study undertaken in four German states.

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