Iron Deficiency Anemia Management in Maternal Health

Iron deficiency anaemia remains one of the most common complications of pregnancy, affecting maternal well-being and perinatal outcomes worldwide. Physiological plasma volume expansion during gestation increases iron requirements by up to 800 mg, yet dietary intake and absorption frequently fall short of this demand. Untreated iron deficiency contributes to fatigue, impaired immune function and, in severe cases, increased risk of maternal mortality. Management strategies encompass prevention through antenatal supplementation, accurate diagnosis via combined haemoglobin and ferritin testing, and tailored treatment using oral or intravenous iron formulations. Clinical decision‐making must balance efficacy, tolerance and logistical considerations in diverse settings, from high-resource facilities to community clinics in low-income regions.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent clinical evidence demonstrates that a single high-dose infusion of ferric carboxymaltose in late pregnancy can achieve rapid correction of haemoglobin and iron stores. In a randomised study of women with moderate to severe anaemia in sub-Saharan Africa, intravenous ferric carboxymaltose reduced the prevalence of anaemia at term by more than a quarter compared with standard oral iron supplementation. The intervention was well tolerated, elicited no serious infusion-related reactions and yielded comparable neonatal birthweights. These findings support the safe and effective use of novel parenteral iron complexes to overcome the limitations of oral therapy when adherence or absorption is suboptimal.

Iron Deficiency Anemia Management in Maternal Health publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in iron deficiency anemia management in maternal health across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Ferric carboxymaltose: A stable intravenous iron–carbohydrate complex allowing high-dose administration and rapid replenishment of iron stores.

Haemoglobin: The oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells; concentrations below trimester-specific thresholds define anaemia in pregnancy.

Ferritin: An intracellular iron-storage protein; serum levels reflect total body iron but may rise during inflammation.

Plasma volume expansion: The physiological increase in maternal blood volume during gestation, leading to dilutional reductions in haemoglobin concentration.

References

1. Iron Deficiency and Iron Deficiency Anemia: Implications and Impact in Pregnancy, Fetal Development, and Early Childhood Parameters. Nutrients (2020).
2. Patient blood management in obstetrics: management of anaemia and haematinic deficiencies in pregnancy and in the post‐partum period: NATA consensus statement. Transfusion Medicine (2017).
3. Ferric carboxymaltose for anemia in late pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial. Nature Medicine (2025).
4. Risk of maternal mortality in women with severe anaemia during pregnancy and post partum: a multilevel analysis. The Lancet Global Health (2018).
5. Serum ferritin thresholds for the diagnosis of iron deficiency in pregnancy: a systematic review. Transfusion Medicine (2017).
6. Comparison of ferric Carboxymaltose and iron sucrose complex for treatment of iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy- randomised controlled trial. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth (2019).