American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 23, 725-730, Copyright © 1970 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Prophylaxis of Anemia in Pregnancy

¹ From the National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Tarnaka, Hyderabad-7, India

The results of a prophylactic trial for the prevention of pregnancy anemia are reported here. Groups of pregnant subjects between 12 and 24 weeks of gestation were given daily supplements of either 30 mg iron, or 30 mg iron with 500 µg folic acid, or 30 mg iron with 500 µg folic acid and 2 µg vitamin B₁₂. An unsupplemented group served as controls. Sixty percent of subjects in the unsupplemented group showed a progressive fall in hemoglobin levels with advancing pregnancy, whereas in the other 40% the levels remained stable. In the three supplemented groups, only 6, 10, and 14% of the subjects showed such a fall, whereas the remaining subjects showed either stable levels or an actual increase. There appeared to be little difference between the three supplemented groups in this respect. It is suggested that daily supplements of 30 mg iron given during the last 100 days of pregnancy is adequate to maintain satisfactory hematological status during pregnancy.

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