title: Iron stores and its correlation to haemoglobin levels in pregnant women attending an antenatal clinic.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the rate of iron deficiency in women coming for antenatal care and to asses whether the haemoglobin concentration is a good index in its detection.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross sectional cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University antenatal clinic, Teaching Hospital, Galle.
  
  
  METHODS
  Haemoglobin (Hb), haematocrit (HC) and serum ferritin (SF) were estimated in 236 women.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 7(3%) women had satisfactory iron stores as shown by SF of over 60 ng/ml. SF levels of less than 10 ng/ml indicating complete depletion of iron stores were found in 135(57%). An Hb level of 11 g/dl, which is the recommended cut off point for the diagnosis of anaemia, had a sensitivity of 63% and a negative predictive value of 41% in the detection of iron deficiency in the study population. The SF was poorly correlated to the Hb at Hb levels of more than 11 g/dl. (r2 = 0.000342, P > 0.5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In women attending for antenatal care the rate of iron deficiency is high (69%). The haemoglobin concentration is not a good index to detect this.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine Galle, University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goonewardene
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seekkuge
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liyanage
mesh_terms: D000747:Anemia, Hypochromic / Q000175:diagnosis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000378:metabolism*; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000175:diagnosis; D011295:Prenatal Care
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D007501:Iron