One in two pregnancies are affected by iron deficiency, yet many women don’t get a simple screening test to check

Half of pregnant women who had a simple blood test to check their iron stores had low iron levels, and one in four had severe iron deficiency, according to a new article. But despite how common iron deficiency is, 40% of pregnant women in this large regional study never had their iron levels checked, and women of lower socioeconomic status were less likely to get tested. Researchers said the findings underscore the need to revisit clinical guidelines to ensure that ferritin testing, the standard measure of iron deficiency, is included as a routine part of maternal care and pregnancy health screenings.

Source: ScienceDaily.com