HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by O'Brien, K. O Articles by Abrams, S. A Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by O'Brien, K. O Articles by Abrams, S. A Agricola Articles by O'Brien, K. O Articles by Abrams, S. A

Influence of prenatal iron and zinc supplements on supplemental iron absorption, red blood cell iron incorporation, and iron status in pregnant Peruvian women^1,2,3

Background:It is estimated that 60% of pregnant women worldwide are anemic.

Objective: We aimed to examine the influence of iron status on iron absorption during pregnancy by measuring supplemental iron absorption, red blood cell iron incorporation, and iron status in pregnant women.

Design: Subjects were 45 pregnant Peruvian women (33 ± 1 wk gestation), of whom 28 received daily prenatal supplements containing 60 mg Fe and 250 µg folate without (Fe group, n = 14) or with (Fe+Zn group, n = 14) 15 mg Zn, which were were consumed from week 10 to 24 of gestation until delivery. The remaining 17 women (control) received no prenatal supplementation. Iron status indicators and isotopes were measured in maternal blood collected 2 wk postdosing with oral (⁵⁷Fe) and intravenous (⁵⁸Fe) stable iron isotopes.

Results: Maternal serum ferritin and folate concentrations were significantly influenced by supplementation (P < 0.05). Serum iron was also significantly higher in the Fe than in the Fe+Zn (P < 0.03) or control (P < 0.001) groups. However, the supplemented groups had significantly lower serum zinc concentrations than the control group (8.4 ± 2.3 and 10.9 ± 1.8 µmol/L, respectively, P < 0.01). Although percentage iron absorption was inversely related to maternal serum ferritin concentrations (P = 0.036), this effect was limited and percentage iron absorption did not differ significantly between groups.

Conclusions: Because absorption of nonheme iron was not substantially greater in pregnant women with depleted iron reserves, prenatal iron supplementation is important for meeting iron requirements during pregnancy.

Key Words: Stable isotopes • iron • zinc • pregnancy • anemia • ferritin • folate • Peru

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. F Young, R. P Glahn, M. Ariza-Nieto, J. Inglis, G. Olbina, M. Westerman, and K. O O'Brien Serum hepcidin is significantly associated with iron absorption from food and supplemental sources in healthy young women Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, February 1, 2009; 89(2): 533 - 538. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Kamp and C. M. Donangelo Supplementing Young Women with Both Zinc and Iron Protects Zinc-Related Antioxidant Indicators Previously Impaired by Iron Supplementation J. Nutr., November 1, 2008; 138(11): 2186 - 2189. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. J Harvey, J. R Dainty, W. J Hollands, V. J Bull, J. A Hoogewerff, R. J Foxall, L. McAnena, J. Strain, and S. J Fairweather-Tait Effect of high-dose iron supplements on fractional zinc absorption and status in pregnant women Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, January 1, 2007; 85(1): 131 - 136. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. S Golub, C. E Hogrefe, A. F Tarantal, S. L Germann, J. L Beard, M. K Georgieff, A. Calatroni, and B. Lozoff Diet-induced iron deficiency anemia and pregnancy outcome in rhesus monkeys Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, March 1, 2006; 83(3): 647 - 656. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				U. Ramakrishnan, L. M. Neufeld, T. Gonzalez-Cossio, S. Villalpando, A. Garcia-Guerra, J. Rivera, and R. Martorell Multiple Micronutrient Supplements during Pregnancy Do Not Reduce Anemia or Improve Iron Status Compared to Iron-Only Supplements in Semirural Mexico J. Nutr., April 1, 2004; 134(4): 898 - 903. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. R Hunt Bioavailability of iron, zinc, and other trace minerals from vegetarian diets Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1, 2003; 78(3): 633S - 639. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Casanueva and F. E. Viteri Iron and Oxidative Stress in Pregnancy J. Nutr., May 1, 2003; 133(5): 1700S - 1708. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. O O'Brien, N. Zavaleta, S. A Abrams, and L. E Caulfield Maternal iron status influences iron transfer to the fetus during the third trimester of pregnancy Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, April 1, 2003; 77(4): 924 - 930. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Y. Patterson and C. Veillon Stable Isotopes of Minerals as Metabolic Tracers in Human Nutrition Research Experimental Biology and Medicine, April 1, 2001; 226(4): 271 - 282. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				Z. K Roughead and J. R Hunt Adaptation in iron absorption: iron supplementation reduces nonheme-iron but not heme-iron absorption from food Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, October 1, 2000; 72(4): 982 - 989. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. O. O’Brien, N. Zavaleta, L. E. Caulfield, J. Wen, and S. A. Abrams Prenatal Iron Supplements Impair Zinc Absorption in Pregnant Peruvian Women J. Nutr., September 1, 2000; 130(9): 2251 - 2255. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				N. Zavaleta, L. E Caulfield, and T. Garcia Changes in iron status during pregnancy in Peruvian women receiving prenatal iron and folic acid supplements with or without zinc Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, April 1, 2000; 71(4): 956 - 961. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]