Mighty Iron For The Iron Mommy!
Iron is crucial for pregnancy, postnatal recovery and breastfeeding as it helps to produce red blood cells, which carry oxygen to all parts of the body to ensure the health of both mom and baby.
Throughout Pregnancy
Mom’s health is vital for the well-being of the baby. Thus, consuming sufficient iron during pregnancy is important to:
- Support red blood cell production1 to increase mom’s blood volume.
- Supply iron and oxygen for the growing fetus.1
- Accommodate an expanding red cell volume, growing fetus and placenta.2
- Support baby’s healthy birth weight.8
Tips: Pregnant moms need at least 29mg of iron in her 1st trimester and 100mg
of iron in her 2nd and 3rd trimesters daily.9
Health Risk
Insufficient iron intake will cause:
- Anaemia, low concentration of HB in blood.4
- Increased risks of infections in moms.5
- Premature and low birth weight baby.
Throughout Breastfeeding
The iron reserves for moms may deplete after delivery. Include iron in your diet
as it helps:
- Support mom’s energy during recovery period.3
- Enhance mom’s recovery and health.3
- Support in breastmilk production to aid in baby’s growth.3
Tips: Breastfeeding moms need at least 15mg of iron daily.9
Health Risk
Low iron intake will impact mom’s and baby’s health as:
- Infants and young children with iron deficiency or anaemia are at risk of developmental difficulties including cognitive, social emotional and adaptive functions.6
- Affect both language and motor development.7
REFERENCES:
1. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Nutritional Status During Pregnancy and Lactation. Nutrition During Pregnancy: Part I Weight Gain: Part II Nutrient Supplements. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1990. 14, Iron
Nutrition During Pregnancy.
2. Achebe MM, Gafter-Gvili A. How I treat anemia in pregnancy: iron, cobalamin, and folate. Blood. 2017 Feb;129(8):940–9.
3. Guideline: Iron Supplementation in Postpartum Women. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2016. BACKGROUND. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK379991/
4. Loy, S.L., Lim, L.M., Chan, SY. et al. Iron status and risk factors of iron deficiency among pregnant women in Singapore: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 19, 397 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6736-y
5. Review on iron and its importance for human health. Abbaspour N, Hurrell R, Kelishadi R J Res Med Sci. 2014 Feb; 19(2):164-74
6. Brain iron and behavior of rats are not normalized by treatment of iron deficiency anemia during early development. Felt BT, Lozoff B, J Nutr. 1996 Mar; 126(3):693-701.
7. Higher prevalence of iron deficiency as strong predictor of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children. Bener A, Kamal M, Bener H, Bhugra D, Ann Med Health Sci Res. 2014 Sep; 4(Suppl 3):S291-7.
8. Influence of iron status on risk of maternal or neonatal infection and on neonatal mortality with an emphasis on developing countries. Brabin L, Brabin BJ, Gies S Nutr Rev. 2013 Aug; 71(8):528-40.
9. Recommended Nutrient Intake for Malaysia (RNI) 2017.
