For the expecting mothers who are worried about their anaemia’s possible effects to their baby, it is important to detect in what stage your anaemia is to determine your next course of action to combat its effects.
Pregnant women who have mild iron deficiency anaemia do not need to worry because at this point, the mother’s situation will cause no real harm for the baby. According to research, as anaemia becomes more acute, the danger of having preterm delivery, growth retardation, hypoxia (lack of oxygen to the baby), and pre-eclampsia increase. However, these situations may not be directly caused by anaemia but are just related issues. Maintaining the iron levels at its normal amount will increase the level of oxygen carrying potential of the blood and will enhance protection against blood loss during childbirth.
There are a lot of variables included in the equation of iron supplementation, such as the amount, the degree and type of deficiency, the type of iron supplement, the gestational age, and the maternal stock of iron that already exist.
In replenishing depleted stores, 60 mg is not enough, although this amount is sufficient to maintain haemoglobin. However, intake of iron in constantly increasing doses is not the solution either. While more iron is being taken, the less the body absorbs, but if you are depleted, the body will absorb more than your body’s usual ability in taking in iron.
As gestation progresses, more iron is absorbed too. If you can stand them, iron is better absorbed by the body when taken during meals and not taken with coffee, milk or tea. Intake of Vitamin C supplement has also proven to aid dietary iron absorption.
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