title: Alcohol use and iron status in pregnant women.
abstract: Iron status, assessed by ferritin (ng/ml), transferrin saturation (%), and hemoglobin (g/100 ml), was examined in a sample of 1398 women from blood samples drawn at their first prenatal visit and in 712 of these women later at their 32-week prenatal visit. Self-reported alcohol use (average ounces of absolute alcohol consumed per day around the time of conception) was not systematically related to iron status. Furthermore, the proportion of iron-depleted or anemic women did not vary according to different levels of alcohol use. An exception is noted in a small group of nine very heavy drinkers, reporting eight or more drinks per day, who, at 32 weeks gestation, had a higher proportion of iron depletion but not anemia. It was concluded that at least in a sample of primarily middle class women receiving good prenatal care, iron depletion and/or anemia probably do not explain the alcohol-related adverse pregnancy outcomes that have been reported previously. Nevertheless, results from several very heavy drinkers suggest that the iron status of pregnant alcoholic women should be investigated further.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications; D000740:Anemia / Q000139:chemically induced; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D005293:Ferritins