Trusted Accuracy at Home

30-Day Risk-Free Guarantee

Free Shipping

  • Trusted Accuracy at Home

  • 30-Day Risk-Free Guarantee

  • Free Shipping

Trusted Wellness Testing. Right at Home.

Check hemoglobin, cholesterol, and kidney function in minutes with easy-to-use at-home devices.

Why are pregnant women susceptible to iron-deficiency anemia?

Why are pregnant women susceptible to anemia? - Medasia.Store

Medasia store |

" To put it simply, the main reason for pregnant women suffering from iron-deficiency anemia is due to increased iron requirements and insufficient iron content in the diet. This is mainly because in the middle and late stages of pregnancy, the continuous growth and development of the fetus and the increase in the blood volume of the pregnant woman also lead to a sharp increase in the iron requirement. If the pregnant woman has insufficient iron intake or malabsorption at this time, iron-deficiency anemia is prone to occur anemia."

Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common complication during pregnancy. It can cause certain harm to mothers and babies during all periods of pregnancy, and even becomes one of the main causes of maternal death in some areas. This is mainly because in the middle and late stages of pregnancy, the continuous growth and development of the fetus and the increase in the blood volume of the pregnant woman also lead to a sharp increase in the iron requirement. If the pregnant woman has insufficient iron intake or malabsorption at this time, iron-deficiency is prone to occur anemia.

iron-deficiency-anemia

Iron-deficiency anemia is a common disease, due to iron-deficiency anemia, the synthesis of hemoglobin and various iron-containing enzymes is reduced. The patient responded well to iron treatment. Iron is the most essential trace element for the human body, with a total amount of 4-5g.

According to relevant data, 38% (320 million) of pregnant women aged 15 to 49 in the world suffer from iron-deficiency anemia. The prevalence of economically underdeveloped areas in the central and western regions reached 45.0%, and the prevalence of moderate to severe anemia reached 20.3%, indicating that anemia is still one of the main nutritional deficiencies in pregnant women.

What are the sources of iron in human bodies?

Endogenous, repeated use of iron after the destruction of red blood cells; exogenous, from iron cooking utensils and foods, such as egg yolk, beef, liver, kidney, beans, chlorophyll and kelp, etc. contain the most iron.  

What are the main causes and influencing factors of iron-deficiency anemia in pregnant women?

The first thing we need to know is that the common causes of iron-deficiency anemia include: insufficient iron in the diet or increased iron requirements; malabsorption of iron; excessive loss of free iron; blood loss; and immunodeficiency. The main causes of iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women are dietary iron deficiency and increased iron requirements. As the months of pregnancy increase and the fetus grows, the demand for iron of pregnant women increases. If the diet of pregnant women is not adjusted at this time, the iron obtained from the diet of pregnant women will be relatively insufficient and the prevalence of the disease will increase. Pregnant women can easily become the "hardest hit" by iron-deficiency anemia.

In addition, factors affecting anemia include nutritional factors: such as lack of iron and other vitamins, lack of mineral elements, such as folic acid. vitamin B12, and deficiency of vitamin A and copper; "socio-economic factors: economic status, cultural background (education level), living conditions and habits, etc.; other factors: genetic factors (e.g. thalassemia); infectious factors (e.g. malaria, chronic infections), etc.

What are the hazards of iron-deficiency anemia in pregnant women?

Iron-deficiency anemia during pregnancy increases the risk of other diseases, raises mortality rates, and severely affects the nutrition and health of both mother and baby. When a pregnant woman has iron-deficiency anemia, it leads to inadequate oxygen supply to the placenta, which increases the risk of fetal growth restriction, low birth weight and preterm birth. Neonatal morbidity and mortality increase, and the risk of intrauterine fetal death increases sixfold; the incidence of postpartum fetal distress can reach 35.6%, neonatal asphyxia, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, and in severe cases may even lead to stillbirth.

iron-deficiency-anemia

How to reduce the incidence of iron-deficiency anemia in pregnant women?

Firstly, iron-deficiency anemia in pregnant women can be treated by increasing the iron content of the diet through a proper diet.

Secondly, proper cooking methods can also prevent non-absorbable iron in food from becoming absorbable iron, thus reducing the occurrence of iron-deficiency anemia.


In general, iron-deficiency anemia in pregnant women is mainly caused by an imbalance between iron demand and iron intake, and adjusting the diet can reduce the risk of the disease.

We wish pregnant mothers good health and happiness.

See also:

1. Anemia treatment

2. What Is Blood Test For Iron Called?

3. 2022 Best Home Hemoglobin Meter Buyers Guide

4. Can I take anemia tests at home?

5. How to choose the at-home kidney test?

6. What main factors influence the hemoglobin test for results?

The article is for reference only and cannot be used as a basis for consultation. If you have any questions or symptoms, please consult a qualified physician.Some of the articles on Medasia.Store website are from the internet, some of them are not sure of the authenticity of the content, author and source of the articles, we do not take any legal responsibility for the authenticity of the content of the articles. We will not use the articles for commercial purposes, reprinted articles are for sharing use only, if it involves infringement or inaccuracy, please be sure to contact us first to delete! We respect and appreciate originality!