American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 18, 249-255, Copyright © 1966 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Nutritional Anemia Early in Pregnancy in a Population with a High Incidence of Siderosis

¹ From the Department of Haematology, South African Institute for Medical Research, and Bridgman Memorial Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa

A comprehensive group of tests of iron, folate and vitamin B₁₂ nutrition have been carried out in fifty anemic Bantu women early in their pregnancy. In this ethnic group, there is a high incidence of siderosis. However, in over 90 per cent of the patients studied, the anemia was associated with evidence of body iron deficiency. This finding of siderosis and iron deficiency occurring in the same population is expained by the fact that severe siderosis occurs predominantly in adult men, whereas it is uncommon in young women, the group most susceptible to iron deficiency.

Of the patients studied 36 per cent showed evidence of folate deficiency, but vitamin B₁₂ deficiency was present in only 4 per cent. This finding correlates with the dietary habits of the group in whom the ingestion of green leafy vegetables is usually poor, but in whom animal protein intake is often adequate.