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 Hay, G. Articles by Borch-Iohnsen, B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hay, G. Articles by Borch-Iohnsen, B. Agricola Articles by Hay, G. Articles by Borch-Iohnsen, B.

Predictors of serum ferritin and serum soluble transferrin receptor in newborns and their associations with iron status during the first 2 y of life^1,2,3

¹ From the Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway (GH, HR, ELM, and BB-I); the Aker University Hospital, Oslo, Norway (EH); and the Department of Clinical Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom (AW)

Background: Adequate iron status at birth may prevent iron deficiency in early childhood.

Objectives: We aimed to identify predictors of serum ferritin (SF) and serum soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) in healthy newborns and to relate these iron indexes to iron status in the first 2 y of life.

Design: Using bivariate correlations and linear regression, we related various factors in pregnancy to SF (n = 363) and sTfR (n = 350) in healthy, term infants. Measurements of cord SF and sTfR were compared with those of SF and sTfR at 6, 12, and 24 mo. All 4 measurements were available for 191 and 169 infants for SF and sTfR, respectively.

Results: Geometric mean (and 95% CI) cord SF and sTfR measurements were 159 (148, 171) µg/L and 7.3 (7.0, 7.6) mg/L, respectively. Cord SF correlated with sTfR ( = –0.21, P < 0.001). In regression analysis, cord SF correlated with smoking and the use of iron supplements during pregnancy (partial r = –0.12 and 0.16; P < 0.05 for both). Cord sTfR was associated with first trimester BMI, gestational age, and male sex (partial r = 0.30, 0.24, and 0.19, respectively; P < 0.01 for all). Cord SF correlated with SF at 6, 12, and 24 mo ( = 0.45, 0.31, and 0.16 respectively; P < 0.05 for all). At age 6 mo, 16 of 17 infants with SF <15 µg/L were boys.

Conclusions: Cessation of smoking and adequate iron prophylaxis during pregnancy may improve iron status in infancy. Cord SF is a predictor of iron status in the first 2 y of life. Boys are at particular risk of low iron status in early infancy.

Key Words: Iron status • iron deficiency • iron supplementation • serum ferritin • serum transferrin receptor • pregnancy • newborns • children • cord blood

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. Hay, C. Johnston, A. Whitelaw, K. Trygg, and H. Refsum Folate and cobalamin status in relation to breastfeeding and weaning in healthy infants Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, July 1, 2008; 88(1): 105 - 114. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]