Iron supplementation in pregnancy. General practitioners' compliance with official recommendations.
OBJECTIVE--To compare general practitioners' routines regarding iron supplementation in pregnancy with national recommendations.


METHODS
Mailed questionnaire to general practitioners.


METHODS
A county in western Norway.


METHODS
184 general practitioners.


METHODS
Descriptive registration of reported routines regarding assessment and supplementation of iron.


RESULTS
11% of general practitioners reported complete adherence to the national programme recommending iron supplements for everyone in the second half of pregnancy and use of s-ferritin estimation if Hb falls below 11 g/dl. 36% of the doctors prescribed iron supplements routinely irrespective of iron status. 87% reported use of s-ferritin estimation in antenatal care; usually on indication of low Hb, almost 20% as a routine screening in all pregnancies.


CONCLUSIONS
General practitioners' compliance with national recommendations for iron supplementation in pregnancy is very low and probably reveals a need both for a review of the national recommendations and for an approach to increase compliance with given standards.
Eskeland
B
B
Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care, University of Bergen, Norway.
Malterud
K
K
D000747:Anemia, Hypochromic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005194:Family Practice / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D006454:Hemoglobins; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron