Relationship between maternal and infant iron stores: 1. Full term infants

Serum ferritin, serum iron and total iron binding capacity were determined in 218 pregnant women at term and in the cord blood of their normal term infants. Both the mean weight (3210 g) and serum ferritin level (geometric mean 81 micrograms/l) of the neonates of iron deficient mothers were significantly lower than those of mothers with "normal" iron stores (weight 3390 g; cord ferritin level 115 micrograms/l). A weakly significant correlation was found between the logarithm of the maternal and neonatal serum ferritin concentration (r = 0.15, p less than 0.05) and the maternal log serum ferritin and the newborn's weight (r = 0.15, p less than 0.05). The weak correlations were supported by the differences between the values of cord samples from babies of iron deficient mothers and those whose mothers had "normal" iron values. Adequate iron supplementation during the early period of pregnancy is suggested.