title: Anaemia and iron status of pregnant and non-pregnant women in the guinea savanna of Nigeria.
abstract: Haemoglobin concentration, serum iron, iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation, free erythrocyte protoporphyrin and serum ferritin (SF) were measured in 66 elite non-pregnant and 95 pregnant (27 elite and 68 non-elite) Nigerian women at Zaria, in the guinea savanna. Anaemia (as defined) was observed in 46% non-pregnant, 37% pregnant elite and 52% pregnant non-elite women. Iron deficiency (as defined) was diagnosed in 54, 30 and 25%, respectively. The mean SF in pregnant elite (28.9 micrograms l-1 was lower, but not significantly, than in pregnant non-elite women (33.6 micrograms l-1, either because of less inflammatory disease or because of more iron deficiency. The prevalence of anaemia tended to fall with increasing parity, being 52% in primigravidae and 40% in grande-multigravidae; this was probably due to greater risk of malaria-induced anaemia in primigravidae. In contrast, prevalence of iron deficiency increased with parity, being 18 and 35%, respectively, in primigravidae and grande-multigravidae. Anaemia and iron deficiency were seen most frequently in the third trimester. Pregnant women in the north of Nigeria require iron supplements irrespective of socioeconomic status or maternal parity.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000747:Anemia, Hypochromic / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D009549:Nigeria; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012923:Social Class; D013997:Time Factors; D014168:Transferrin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D014168:Transferrin; D005293:Ferritins