Abstract

The purpose of this study is to assess the maternal iron status during pregnancy and to evaluate the relationships between the iron indices of maternal, umbilical cord serum, placenta and pregnancy outcomes. Venous bloods samples were drawn from 54 pregnant women just before delivery and cord bloods of their newborn babies were collected immediately after birth. And also, placental tissues were extracted. We investigated the difference of the iron status indices of maternal, umbilical cord serum and placental tissue between two gestational age group (PT group, NT group : preterm delivery and normal term delivery at 34.9wk and 39.0wk of mean gestational length, respectively) and also assessed correlations of iron status indices of maternal, umbilical cord serum and placenta tissue. And lastly, we related between birth weight and iron status indices of maternal, umbilical cord serum and placental tissue. The concentrations of maternal serum ferritin and of placental iron were significantly higher in PT group (32.1 +/- 21.1 ng/ml, 68.5 +/- 16.7microgram / g), than those of NT group (20.8 +/- 11.6 ng / ml, 53.2 +/- 17.4 microgram / g) respectively (p < 0.001). However the serum ferritin of umbilical cord were significantly higher in NT group (PT : 109.4 +/- 65.7 ng/ml, NT : 147.0 +/- 56.8 ng / ml) than those of PT group (p < 0.05). Our results showed that a negative association between birth weight (r=-0.361) and maternal serum ferritin and that a positive association between birth weight and umbilical cord serum ferritin (r=0.261). Despite not a significant difference, there was tendency that highest concentration of maternal serum ferritin was associated with the lowest birth weight. These findings indicate that birth weight of newborn is dependent of multiple factors such as maternal iron status during pre-pregnancy, body size, general nutritional status. Although for women who enter pregnancy with low iron stores, enough intakes of iron during pregnancy could produce undesirable pregnancy outcome. Therefore we suggest for successful pregnancy outcome and delivery differential iron supplementation program will be carried out individual pregnant women on the basis of pre-pregnancy nutritional status.

• Keywords: iron status; gestational length; birth weight; pregnancy outcome