%0 Journal Article
%T Functional iron deficiency markers are absent during pregnancy despite evidence of low iron stores
%A Gerrie van der Haar
%A Henk J Adriaansen
%A Hester J van der Zaag-Loonen
%A Johannes JML Hoffmann
%A Marijke Niens
%A Martijn WHJ Demmers
%J Annals of Clinical Biochemistry
%@ 1758-1001
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/0004563219837290
%X Functional iron deficiency parameters predict iron-restricted erythropoiesis more precisely than ferritin. Ferritin and erythropoiesis can be affected by inflammation and hormonal alterations. We hypothesize that the association between low ferritin concentrations and iron-restricted erythropoiesis is not comparable between pregnant and non-pregnant women. Pregnant women (n£¿=£¿926) were included at week 12 of gestation. Ferritin concentrations, %hypochromic erythrocytes (%HYPO), %microcytic erythrocytes (%MICRO), reticulocyte haemoglobin content (MCHr), mean cell volume (MCV) and mean cell haemoglobin (MCH) were analysed. Data were compared with non-pregnant women (n£¿=£¿1302). Functional iron deficiency parameters (%HYPO, %MICRO, MCHr) were present in, respectively, 3.9%, 14.3% and 2.3% off all pregnant women. Univariate analysis of low ferritin (<20 ¦Ìg/L) showed significant differences between non-pregnant versus pregnant women; %HYPO (10.92% vs. 0.92%), increased %MICRO (4.33% vs. 1.00%) and decreased MCHr (24.9 pg vs. 29.5 pg), respectively. In the logistic regression analysis, MCHr, %MICRO and MCV were independently associated with low ferritin concentrations in pregnant women, while %HYPO and %MICRO were independently associated variables in non-pregnant women with low ferritin concentrations. Functional iron deficiency is significantly less frequent in pregnant women compared with iron-deficient non-pregnant women. During pregnancy, iron metabolism might be differentially regulated for optimal fetal growth and development despite low maternal iron stores
%K Haemoglobin
%K iron disorders
%K pregnancy
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0004563219837290