Abstract

Iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women has been of great concern because of its negative effects on the outcomes of pregnancy. Much of evidence has shown that there are associations between pregnancy outcomes and maternal iron status. Maternal iron status might affect pregnancy outcomes through the iron status of the cord blood. In this study, we divided 91 subjects into two groups : the anemic and the normal groups. The groups were classified according to their hemoglobin(Hb) and hematocrit(Hct) values of the maternal blood in the third trimester of the pregnancies. We determined the parameters for the iron status of the cord blood and then analyzed the correlations between these parameters and the pregnancy outcomes. Mothers in the anemic group had a significantly higher parity number and a lower dietary score as well as a shorter duration of iron supplements consumed compared to those in the normal group. Maternal Hb values in the third trimester had positive correlations with the infant's head and chest circumferences, and the Hct values related positively to the infant's chest circumferences. On the other hand, Hb concentrations of the cord blood had positive correlations with the infant's height and head and chest circumferences. The Hct values of the cord blood had positive correlations with gestational periods and the cord lengths. These results suggest that the maternal iron status might influence fetal development through the iron status of the cord blood.

• Keywords: maternal anemia; iron; cord blood; pregnancy outcomes