[Ferritin level in newborn infants after prepartal iron medication]

Aim of the study was to find out the influence of iron medication of pregnant women on the iron levels of their newborn. In a prospective randomised study the iron-substituted group (n = 57) was treated with 2 x 1 Aktiferrin comp. Kps. (Merckle) during pregnancy, starting from the 22nd week. The control group (n = 46) had no medication during pregnancy. The substituted group had statistically significantly higher serum ferritin levels in the 30th week of pregnancy (p less than 0.048), higher levels measured in the cord blood at birth (p less than 0.001), and also the newborn of this group had statistically significant higher serum ferritin levels than the newborn of the control group (p less than 0.001). Our conclusion is that prepartal iron medication leads to increased iron stores in the newborn.