Serum Ferritin in Ethiopian Mothers and their Newborn Infants. Relation to Iron Intake and Socio-Economic Conditions
- 23 April 2009
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wiley in Scandinavian Journal of Haematology
- Vol. 27 (4), 247-252
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0609.1981.tb00480.x
Abstract
Ferritin estimations were performed in serum from 38 Ethiopian and 10 Swedish pregnant women and in cord blood from their newborn infants. The mean ferritin level in the Ethiopian mothers was significantly higher than in the Swedish mothers and in a non-pregnant population of apparently healthy Swedish women. The Ethiopian mothers consisted of 2 groups with different economic situations, a privileged and a non-privileged group. The non-privileged group consumed the Fe-rich traditional diet unique for Ethiopia, whereas some of the privileged mothers had abandoned this menu in favor of more refined food items with a lower Fe content. Subnormal ferritin levels, indicating Fe depletion, were found in 33% of the privileged and in 8% of the non-privileged group, in spite of the fact that the infants of the privileged group had a significantly higher mean birth weight, indicating a better nutritional standard in general. The previously reported rarity of gestational anemia in Ethiopia is due mainly to the good Fe state of Ethiopian women, especially those who still eat the traditional cereal bread. No correlation was found between maternal and cord blood ferritin. The relevance of cord blood ferritin in the diagnosis of the Fe state is discussed.Keywords
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