Intake of Iron Supplements during Pregnancy Cuts Low Birth Weight Risk

Daily dose of iron during pregnancy can reduce the risk of having an underweight baby, according to a new study.

About 32 million pregnant women in the world suffer from anemia due to low iron levels. The deficiency occurs mostly in women of low or middle income countries.

The World Health Organization recommends that anemic women take 60 mg of iron supplements per day. The study found that taking iron supplements (up to 66 mg per day) decreased the risk of anemia by 12 percent and that of having an underweight baby by 3 percent.

Low birth weight (less than 5.5 pounds at birth) can lead to many long-term problems such as delayed motor abilities and slow social development.

For the study, experts from the U.S. and the U.K. analyzed data of nearly 2 million pregnant women. These women were part of some 90 studies that looked into iron intake during pregnancy and the baby's health. Studies were of both randomized trial and cohort types.

The study results showed that iron supplements increased mothers' average hemoglobin levels and significantly reduced risk of anemia in children.

The scientists found no association between iron intake and reduced risk of pre-term birth. But, analysis of various cohort studies showed that pregnant women who were anemic during second and third trimester had higher risk of having low birth-weight babies.

They also found that for every 10 mg increase in iron dosage per day (upper limit 66 mg per day), the risk of anemia in pregnant women went down by 12 percent. And, babies of these women gained 15 g more weight along with a 3 percent reduction in low-birth weight.

"Our findings suggest that use of iron in women during pregnancy may be used as a preventive strategy to improve maternal haematological status and birth weight," the authors said, according to a news release.

They have now called for a "rigorous evaluation of the effectiveness of existing antenatal care programmes in high burden countries to identify gaps in policy and programme implementation."

The study is published in the journal BMJ.

Currently, women in the U.S or the U.K. aren't given any iron supplements unless they are diagnosed with anemia. Pregnant women must consult their gynecologist before using any dietary supplements.