Taking iron supplements one to three times a week instead of every day is just as effective at preventing anemia in pregnant women, according to the findings of a new review. The authors of the review also showed that women experienced fewer side effects when taking iron supplements intermittently rather than daily.
Lack of iron can cause anemia in pregnant women, potentially increasing the risk of complications at delivery. It may also be harmful to their babies, through increased risk of low birth weight and even delayed growth and development later in life.
Anemia is diagnosed as a low level of hemoglobin in the blood. However, hemoglobin levels should be carefully controlled during pregnancy, as high concentrations have also been associated with an increased risk of babies being born early or with low birthweight.
Traditionally, anemia during pregnancy is prevented by daily supplements containing iron and folic acid, started as early in the pregnancy as possible. However, some countries, such as the UK, do not recommend routine preventive iron supplementation to all women.
The researchers analyzed data from 18 trials involving a total of 4,072 pregnant women who took iron supplements alone, with folic acid or with multi-vitamin and mineral supplements. According to the results, women who took iron supplements once, twice or three times a week on non-consecutive days were no more likely to suffer from anemia by the end of their pregnancies than those who took them daily, and their babies were no more likely to be born early or have a low birth weight.
Furthermore, those taking the supplements intermittently rather than daily were less likely to experience side effects including nausea, constipation and high hemoglobin levels during pregnancy.
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