Iron Metabolism in African American Women in the Second and Third Trimesters of High-Risk Pregnancies.
To examine iron metabolism during the second and third trimesters in African American women with high-risk pregnancies.



Longitudinal pilot study.



Large, university-based, urban Midwestern U.S. medical center.



Convenience sample of 32 African American women with high-risk pregnancies seeking care at an urban maternal-fetal medicine clinic.



Nonfasting venous blood was collected in the second and third trimesters to assess iron status, hepcidin, and systemic inflammation. Anthropometric and survey data were obtained via self-report. Descriptive statistics were calculated from these data, and changes in the clinical parameters between the second and third trimesters were evaluated via paired t tests. Associations among demographic, reproductive, anthropometric, inflammatory, and iron-related parameters were also assessed in each trimester.



The mean age of participants was 28.3 (± 6.8) years, and mean prepregnancy body mass index was 31.9 (± 10.7) kg/m2. In the longitudinal analysis, significant (p < .05) declines in serum iron, ferritin, transferrin saturation, and C-reactive protein were observed between the second and third trimesters. There was no statistically significant change in hepcidin between trimesters. When using a ferritin level cut-point of less than 15 ng/ml and soluble transferrin receptor level of greater than 28.1 nmol/L, 48% of the participants (14 of 29) were classified with iron deficiency in the third trimester.



In this pilot study, iron deficiency was prevalent among a small cohort of African American women with high-risk pregnancies. Hepcidin concentrations were greater than previously reported in healthy, pregnant, primarily White women, which suggests decreased iron bioavailability in this high-risk group.
Lauren
L
Welke
Mary Dawn
MD
Koenig
Jessica L
JL
Thomson
Elizabeta
E
Nemeth
Rosemary
R
White-Traut
Barbara L
BL
McFarlin
Carmen
C
Giurgescu
Christopher G
CG
Engeland
Michelle A
MA
Kominiarek
Lisa
L
Tussing-Humphreys
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000451:nursing*; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D018566:Pregnancy, High-Risk / Q000378:metabolism*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D055815:Young Adult
D014131:Trace Elements; D005293:Ferritins
African American; high-risk; iron metabolism; pregnancy