Importance of Iron during pregnancy
Iron is an essential mineral that is required to make healthy red blood cells. The red blood cells carry oxygen around the body to the tissues and organs to perform vital functions. As the fetus grows, there is a greater demand for Iron as the volume of blood increases to support the fetus. Pregnancy iron deficiency can cause anemia in women, resulting in the feeling of tiredness all day and long-term repercussions to both the mother and the baby.
Increased Iron Need during Pregnancy
When compared to their nonpregnant state, the overall requirement of Iron is significantly greater for all women during pregnancy. While the absence of menstruation balances out the iron need initially in pregnancy, the increase in red blood cells by the second trimester to build placental structures and support the growth of the fetus necessitates increased iron intake. By the time women reach their third trimester, the iron requirement can go from 1 mg/d in the first trimester to 6 – 10 mg/d in the last few weeks of pregnancy. While pregnant women can consume diets containing ample amounts of bioavailable iron such as meat, fish, poultry, and fortified foods, the overall absorption of iron doesn’t go higher than 3-5 mg/d. Therefore pregnancy iron supplement needs to be taken by pregnant women to meet their daily requirements.
Deficiency of Iron during Pregnancy
There is almost a 50% increase of blood in the body during pregnancy to support the fetus during pregnancy. When women do not have enough Iron reserves in the body at the start of the pregnancy, it could lead to anemia if the iron intake continues to be insufficient. When pregnant women have anemia, there is not enough hemoglobin to carry oxygen around the body, and the woman starts feeling tired and weak. If the anemia is severe, they would constantly feel out of breath, dizzy, irritable, and hard to concentrate on tasks. Other symptoms include brittle nails, heart palpitations, thinning of hair, and mouth ulcers. Anemia also affects the fetus, such as low birth weight, low iron levels in the body, and risk of premature birth.
Consuming adequate Iron during pregnancy
The recommended iron in pregnancy dose is about 27mg every day, and pregnant women should not cross 45mg a day unless advised otherwise by a doctor. Iron is available in a wide range of food sources. However, not all are efficiently absorbed by the body.
The Haem iron, which comes from animal-based sources, is readily absorbed by the body. About 30% of the haem iron consumed through animal sources is absorbed. Some of the best sources include:
- Red meats such as beef, lamb, and pork
- Poultry such as chicken, duck, and turkey
- Fish- mackerel, tuna, and sardines
- Eggs
The Non-haem iron comes from plant sources and is not as readily absorbed by the body. Consuming vitamin C along with Iron sources helps to absorb it efficiently. Some rich plant-based iron sources include:
- Dark green leafy vegetables
- Dried fruits-raisins, prunes, apricots
- Wholegrain and fortified cereals
- Nuts- cashews, pistachios, and almonds.
Iron is an essential mineral needed to make red blood cells that carry oxygen all around the body. The deficiency of iron causes anemia in pregnant women, which can cause other complications to both the mother and the baby. It is essential to consume pregnancy Iron rich foods to meet the body’s demand and go on supplementation if necessary.
References:
https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/72/1/257S/4729643
https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/im-pregnant/nutrition-in-pregnancy/iron-pregnancy
https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/anemia-and-pregnancy
https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0023/150089/antenatal-iron.pdf
https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/anaemia-in-pregnancy
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