Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) found that Iron supplementation during pregnancy has no significant effect on maternal or infant health outcomes.
The announcement is based on a recent study conducted by OHSU, supported by the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
The study showed that prenatal iron supplementation reduces the onset of iron deficiency and anaemia during pregnancy but has no significant effect on maternal or infant health.
Based on the study results, the additional iron supplementation recommended during pregnancy, which can cause nausea and constipation, may not be necessary.
OHSU School of Medicine medical informatics and clinical epidemiology, family medicine and obstetrics and gynaecology professor, and the study’s corresponding author Amy Cantor said: “There’s a lot of marketing out there targeting various vitamins and supplements for pregnant people, and it can be overwhelming.
“It’s best to keep it simple: If you don’t have any risk factors outlined by your clinician, then a standard prenatal vitamin should be sufficient to ensure a healthy pregnancy.”
OHSU said iron deficiency is the most common cause of anaemia during pregnancy, a condition in which healthy red blood cells that carry oxygen to the body parts, are at lower levels.
Anaemia is highly prevalent in certain populations, including Black and Mexican American individuals, and those who are deprived of iron-rich foods.
Pregnant women are commonly screened for iron deficiency, which allows early identification and treatment. However, the relationship between iron and perinatal health is not validated.
In 2015, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) found evidence to determine the benefits and harms of routine screening for iron deficiency during pregnancy is inadequate.
The researchers at OHSU, through their study, aimed to inform updated recommendations for routine screening and supplementation by the USPSTF.
In a systematic review, the researchers found that when supplementation was compared with placebo or nothing, there were no statistically significant differences in health outcomes.
The outcomes include maternal quality of life, gestational diabetes, haemorrhage, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, caesarean delivery, preterm birth, and infant low birth weight.
Iron supplementation has only a few harms, but is associated with short-term gastrointestinal side effects, such as nausea or constipation, which can be uncomfortable for patients.
Based on the evidence of limited impact on maternal and infant health outcomes, clinicians can decide on prescribing iron supplements based on the patient’s personal history and symptoms.
Cantor added: “We hope clinicians can use this information to improve discussions with patients around symptoms and health history, so treatment can be optimised and tailored to the individual.
“What this reinforces is that prenatal care should be individualised, because each patient is unique and how they experience pregnancy will also be unique.
“Prenatal care shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all, and we hope this review sparks more individualised discussions between patients and providers about health during pregnancy.”
