Pregnancy puts you at risk of developing iron deficiency anemia (IDA). This is because your body may not be producing enough red blood cells to support you and your baby’s growth. If iron is not enough, there can be several negative effects.
Severe anemia during pregnancy increases your risk of premature birth, a low birth-weight baby, and postpartum depression. Some studies also show an increased risk of infant death immediately before or after birth. 1 Moms can also experience more instances of fatigue, poor concentration, and a higher risk of infection.
With so many things that can go wrong, it is no wonder that your OB-Gyn will often prescribe iron supplements to ensure that you and your baby are safe and healthy all throughout the pregnancy until child birth. However, not all iron supplements are the same.
One would think that taking iron would be simple, but studies show that one of the most common iron supplements, ferrous sulfate (FS), causes significant gastrointestinal side-effects 2. The most common adverse experiences include nausea and diarrhea, with some also reporting constipation.
With all these adverse reactions, compliance becomes a problem. Moms are made to choose between ferrous sulfate’s side-effects and risking IDA.
Good thing there’s a better choice.
Not all iron supplements are equal. A study published in 2007, stated that iron polymaltose complex (IPC) significantly had lesser incidence of adverse effects than ferrous sulfate (1). With better experiences, came better compliance for patients taking IPC.
When it comes to iron supplements, you have a choice. You do not have to put up with side-effects, ask your OB-Gyn about a better choice of iron supplement from MedChoice.
REFERENCES
1: Saha L, Pandhi P, Gopalan S, Malhotra S, Saha PK. Comparison of efficacy, tolerability, and cost of iron polymaltose complex with ferrous sulphate in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women. MedGenMed. 2007;9(1):1. Published 2007 Jan 2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1924983/
2: Tolkien Z, Stecher L, Mander AP, Pereira DI, Powell JJ. Ferrous sulfate supplementation causes significant gastrointestinal side- effects in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2015;10(2):e0117383. Published 2015 Feb 20. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117383 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4336293/#:~:text=Gastrointestinal%20side%2Deffects%20are%20the,13%2C14%2C15 %5D.
Correct nutrition is an integral part of being pregnant. It enables your body to cope with changes throughout the whole nine months and even beyond.
Pregnancy puts you at risk of developing iron deficiency anemia (IDA). This is because your body may not be producing enough red blood cells to support you and your baby’s growth.
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