[Iron deficiency and anemia in pregnant women from Chaco, Argentina]

Aiming at their prevention, to determine the prevalence of gestational iron deficiency and anemia, considering access to health care and associations with social and biological variables in the Province of el Chaco, Argentina. Three hundred and sixty four, randomly selected pregnant women from the whole province participated. Mean Hemoglobin (Hb) +/- SD dropped progressively from 118.4 +/- 11.0 to 112.1 +/- 11.5 g/L (p = 0.015) between the 1st and the 3rd gestational trimesters. Anemia prevalence (Hb < 110 g/L) was 17.4, 26.5 and 35.8%. From the 1st to the 3rd trimesters. Second trimester prevalence was 14.1% using Hb < 105 g/L as recently suggested. The ferritin geometric mean during the progressive gestational trimesters were 28.9; 16.0 and 11.1 micrograms/L. 21.7, 40.5 and 60.5% had ferritins < 12 micrograms/L, and 39.1, 58.9 and 83.2% had ferritins < 20 micrograms/L in these respective trimesters (p < 0.004 between trimesters in both cases). Both iron deficiency and anemia were significantly greater in women with unfinished primary education and with interpregnancy interval < 1 year. Seventy five percent of women had adequate number of antenatal visits but only 23% were taking iron supplements and 10% had stopped taking them. The prevention and correction of gestational iron deficiency and anemia must focus on the preconceptional period (inter-pregnancy spacing and increasing iron intake using all available means) as well as during pregnancy improving adherence to iron supplements by means of motivation of health workers and community.