Review article
DIETARY INTAKE OF IRON AS PREVENTIVE MEASUREMENT FOR IRON DEFICIENCY ANAEMIA IN PREGNANCY
Ines Banjari
orcid.org/0000-0002-8680-5007
; Faculty of Food Technology Osijek, Franje Kuhaca 20, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
Abstract
Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia, as the most common nutritional deficiency in the world, present risk factor in pregnancy. Iron deficiency is more common than anaemia, implying progressive presentation of the disorder. Iron homeostasis in organism is very delicately regulated and greatly depends on iron body stores as well as on nutritional iron intake. Iron intake from foods is under the influence of numerous factors which affect its bioavailability positively or negatively. Pregnancy as an important period in every woman’s life increases the need for adequate intake of energy and nutrients, presenting itself as an important factor in foetal programming. Physiologic need for iron during pregnancy drastically rises and it’s not in accordance to the simultaneous increase in energy need. Therefore pregnant women present one of the risk groups, and supplement use is highly recommended. Researchers have shown that iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia have negative impacts on pregnancy outcomes, especially when considering undeveloped and developing countries. Negative impacts include preterm delivery, low birth weight, and caesarean delivery, and can be expressed through later child’s development with higher tendency towards iron deficiency and/or anaemia. The importance of preventing iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia in pregnant women was highlighted through Croatian Food and Nutrition Policy from 1999, but still till today concrete actions towards this lack.
Keywords
iron deficiency; iron deficiency anaemia; pregnancy; iron bioavailability
Hrčak ID:
116982
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2013.
Visits: 6.367 *