title: Neonatal iron status is impaired by maternal obesity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Maternal iron needs increase sixfold during pregnancy, but obesity interferes with iron absorption. We hypothesized that maternal obesity impairs fetal iron status.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred and sixteen newborns with risk factors for infantile iron deficiency anemia (IDA) were studied to examine obesity during pregnancy and neonatal iron status. Erythrocyte iron was assessed by cord blood hemoglobin (Hb), zinc protoporphyrin/heme (ZnPP/H) and reticulocyte-ZnPP/H, and storage iron by serum ferritin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women with body mass index (BMI) ⩾ 30 kg m(-)(2), as compared with non-obese women, delivered larger offspring with higher reticulocyte-ZnPP/H and lower serum ferritin concentrations (P<0.05 for both). With increasing BMI, the estimated body iron was relatively lower (mg kg(-)(1)) and the ratio of total Hb-bound iron (mg) per total body iron (mg) increased. Maternal diabetes compromised infant iron status, but multivariate analysis demonstrated that obesity was an independent predictor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obesity during pregnancy and excessive weight gain are independent risk factors for iron deficiency in the newborn.
authors.affiliation: 1] School of Medicine and Public Health, and Meriter Hospital, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA [2] Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Public Health, and Meriter Hospital, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Public Health, and Meriter Hospital, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lundberg
authors.affiliation: 1] School of Medicine and Public Health, and Meriter Hospital, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA [2] Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Guilbert
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Auger
authors.affiliation: 1] School of Medicine and Public Health, and Meriter Hospital, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA [2] Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Blohowiak
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA [2] Harlow Center for Biological Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Coe
authors.affiliation: 1] School of Medicine and Public Health, and Meriter Hospital, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA [2] Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Kling
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D005312:Fetal Blood; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011524:Protoporphyrins / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors; D015430:Weight Gain; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D011524:Protoporphyrins; C017803:zinc protoporphyrin; D005293:Ferritins