5 Jun 2025 • Both iron deficiency (ID) and anemia in early pregnancy are linked to greater infectious morbidity, despite routine iron supplementation.

Key Findings:

• Among pregnant women monitored from <18 weeks' gestation, those with ID had 2.6 times higher odds of experiencing gastric illness (OR 2.64).
• Anemic women (Hb <10.5 g/dL) faced nearly double the duration of respiratory illness and more frequent vomiting episodes.
• Women with iron-sufficient erythropoiesis also showed a trend toward increased respiratory illness (OR 2.31) and significantly more fever episodes.

The findings underscore the need for more personalized antenatal iron strategies.

Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth | Read Full Story