Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026
08:45
Quantitating Iron Transport Across the Mouse Placenta In Vivo Using Nonradioactive Iron Isotopes
Published on: May 10, 2022
[Pregnancy and iron prophylaxis--how and how much?]
1Rigshospitalet, Juliane Marie Centeret, og Gentofte Hospital, Gynaekologisk-obstetrisk Klinik, Denmark. nils.mil@dadlnet.dk
Ugeskrift for Laeger
|February 12, 2010
Summary
Iron supplementation in pregnancy is vital for fetal development and preventing low birth weight. While general iron prophylaxis is recommended, individualized treatment based on plasma ferritin levels may be more effective.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Iron is crucial for normal fetal development.
- Iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy increases risks of preterm delivery and low birth weight.
- Iron supplementation during gestation improves iron status markers like plasma ferritin and hemoglobin.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of iron supplementation in pregnancy.
- To compare general iron prophylaxis with individualized prophylaxis based on plasma ferritin levels.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature and clinical guidelines.
- Analysis of data on iron supplementation protocols in pregnant populations.
- Comparison of outcomes between general and individualized iron prophylaxis strategies.
Main Results:
- General iron prophylaxis (40 mg ferrous iron from 10th week) has been advocated in Denmark since 2008.
- Iron supplementation effectively increases plasma ferritin and hemoglobin levels.
- Individualized prophylaxis based on plasma ferritin may offer a more targeted approach.
Conclusions:
- Iron supplementation is essential during pregnancy to prevent complications.
- Current general iron prophylaxis guidelines should be reconsidered.
- Individualized iron supplementation tailored to maternal iron status is suggested as a preferred approach.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Rh Blood Group
The Rhesus (Rh) antigen is crucial in determining blood groups and ensuring compatibility during blood transfusions.
01:30Vitamins
Vitamins, derived from the Latin word for life, are essential organic substances required in small quantities for optimal growth and overall well-being. Unlike other organic nutrients, vitamins don't act as sources of energy or building materials but rather facilitate these nutrients' utilization by the body. Vitamins are predominantly coenzymes, assisting enzymes in specific chemical actions, like the oxidation of glucose for energy involving B vitamins. Most vitamins are not produced in our...
01:29Drug Dosing: Infants and Children
Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
01:07Teratogenicity
The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
01:15Transcytosis of IgG
Transcytosis is the process in which molecules are internalized by endocytosis, transported across the cell, and released through exocytosis from the opposite end of the cell. Molecules such as insulin, immunoglobulins, and certain nutrients are transferred through the recycling endosomes by recycling and transcytosis.
IgG molecules from a mother undergo transcytosis starting around 13 weeks of gestation. The amount of IgG transferred and entering the fetal blood circulation increases with...
IgG molecules from a mother undergo transcytosis starting around 13 weeks of gestation. The amount of IgG transferred and entering the fetal blood circulation increases with...
01:18Anticoagulant Drugs: Vitamin K Antagonists and Direct Oral Anticoagulants
Oral anticoagulants are vital tools in preventing and treating blood clotting disorders. This diverse class of medications can be categorized as vitamin K antagonists, exemplified by warfarin, and direct thrombin inhibitors (DTIs), such as dabigatran, as well as factor Xa inhibitors, including rivaroxaban.
Warfarin, a prominent vitamin K antagonist family member, exerts its effect by inhibiting the enzyme VKORC1 (vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1). By hindering this enzyme, warfarin...
Warfarin, a prominent vitamin K antagonist family member, exerts its effect by inhibiting the enzyme VKORC1 (vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1). By hindering this enzyme, warfarin...