Relation of Maternal Blood Iron, Total Iron Binding Capacity and Ferritin Levels with Fetal Values

Abstract

In this study, 74 prospective mothers proposed delivery during the period of 01.11.2003- 31.08.2004 in Bakirkoy Maternity and Woman's and Children's Diseases Education Hospital, Turkey were included. They were divided into two groups based on hemoglobin levels of mothers as group I (hemoglobin = 11 g/dl, n = 42) and group II (hemoglobin < 11 g/dl, n = 32). Hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Htc), mean erythrocyte corpuscular volume (MCV), mean erythrocyte corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), serum iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), serum ferritin levels and the percentage of transferrin saturation were determined in mothers and umbilical cord blood of their newborns. Additionally, birth weight of all babies were recorded. Mean ferritin level in umbilical cord blood was found higher than that in mother's blood. A significant correlation was found between serum ferritin levels of mothers and infants and between serum ferritin levels of babies of anemic and non-anemic mothers. No difference was found in terms of baby weight between two groups. In this study, it was concluded that iron deficiency of mother affected ferritin level of infant and that serum ferritin level should be increased in pregnant women for diminishing the risk of iron deficiency anemia in newborn infants.