Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2004 Oct;134(10):2586-91.
doi: 10.1093/jn/134.10.2586.

Preconception hemoglobin and ferritin concentrations are associated with pregnancy outcome in a prospective cohort of Chinese women

Affiliations
Free article

Preconception hemoglobin and ferritin concentrations are associated with pregnancy outcome in a prospective cohort of Chinese women

Alayne G Ronnenberg et al. J Nutr. 2004 Oct.
Free article

Abstract

Prenatal anemia and iron deficiency are associated with adverse birth outcomes, but no previous studies have examined the relation between preconception anemia, iron deficiency, and pregnancy outcome in healthy women. We measured hemoglobin (Hb), ferritin, transferrin receptor (TfR), and vitamins B-6, B-12, and folate concentrations before pregnancy in 405 Chinese women (median time from sample collection to gestation end = 316 d). Both mild (95 </= Hb < 120 g/L) and moderate (Hb < 95 g/L) anemia were significantly associated with lower birthweight (139 and 192 g, respectively); iron-deficiency anemia alone (Hb < 120 g, ferritin < 12 microg/L, no B-vitamin deficiency) was associated with a 242-g decrease in birthweight. Both low (<12 microg/L) and high (>/=60 microg/L) ferritin were also significantly associated with lower birthweight (106 and 123 g, respectively). The risks of low birthweight (LBW) and fetal growth restriction (FGR) were significantly greater among women with moderate anemia compared with nonanemic controls [odds ratio (OR): 6.5; 95% CI: 1.6, 26.7; P = 0.009 and OR: 4.6; 95% CI: 1.5, 13.5; P = 0.006, respectively]. TfR and low ferritin were not associated with adverse birth outcome, but elevated ferritin, which could be a marker of inflammation, was associated with increased risk of LBW (OR: 2.2; 95% CI: 0.9, 5.7; P = 0.09) and FGR (OR: 2.7; 95% CI: 1.3, 5.6; P = 0.008). Preconception anemia, particularly iron-deficiency anemia, was associated with reduced infant growth and increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcome in Chinese women.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

Cited by

Publication types

-