New healthy formula to increase baby's weight during pregnancy

This new research will help lot babies who are born anemic.

Moms-to-be who take iron daily during pregnancy can significantly increase their babies' birth weight, a new research has found. Iron deficiency is the most widespread nutritional deficiency in the world. It is the most common cause of anaemia during pregnancy, especially in low and middle income countries, affecting an estimated 32



million pregnant women globally in 2011. Researchers in the UK and US analysed the results of over 90 studies (a mix of randomised trials and cohort studies) of prenatal iron use and prenatal anaemia, involving nearly two million women.  Iron use increased a mother's average haemoglobin levels compared with controls and significantly reduced the risk of anaemia, found the study published in bmj.Com.

The study found no reduction in risk of preterm birth as a result of iron use. However analysis of cohort studies showed a significantly higher risk of low birth weight and preterm birth with anaemia in the first or second trimester of pregnancy.

Common sources of home iron:

 

Red meat, poultry, and fish are all good sources of heme iron. (For easy reference, 3 ounces of meat is about the size of a deck of cards.)

•3 ounces lean beef chuck: 3.2 mg

•3 ounces lean beef tenderloin: 3.0 mg

•3 ounces roast turkey, dark meat: 2.0 mg

•3 ounces roast turkey breast: 1.4 mg

•3 ounces roast chicken, dark meat: 1.1 mg

•3 ounces roast chicken breast: 1.1 mg

•3 ounces halibut: 0.9 mg

•3 ounces pork loin: 0.8 mg

 

Common sources of non-home iron:

•1 cup iron-fortified ready-to-eat cereal: 24 mg

•1 cup fortified instant oatmeal: 10 mg

•1 cup edamame (boiled soybeans): 8.8 mg

•1 cup cooked lentils: 6.6 mg

•1 cup cooked kidney beans: 5.2 mg

•1 cup chickpeas: 4.8 mg

•1 cup lima beans: 4.5 mg

•1 ounce roasted pumpkin seeds: 4.2 mg

•1 cup cooked black or pinto beans: 3.6 mg

•1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses: 3.5 mg

•1/2 cup raw firm tofu: 3.4 mg

•1/2 cup boiled spinach: 3.2 mg

•1 cup prune juice: 3.0 mg

•1 slice whole wheat or enriched white bread: 0.9 mg

•1/4 cup raisins: 0.75 mg

How much iron you need

Pregnant women: 27 milligrams (mg) of iron per day

Non-pregnant women: 18 mg

You don't have to get the recommended amount of iron every day. Instead, aim for that amount as an average over the course of a few days or a week.

New research- Daily Iron in Pregnancy Reduces Risk of Small Baby

Pregnant women who take iron supplements every day have a lower risk of giving birth to a low-weight baby, according to a new study published in the BMJ (British Medical Journal).

The researchers wanted to find out the effects of prenatal iron use and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. As one of the main causes of anemia during pregnancy, low iron is a very common nutritional deficiency worldwide. An estimated 32 million pregnant women globally are affected by the condition. Young women, pregnant women and children are at the most risk of iron deficiency. The World Health Organization recommends pregnant women should take 60 mg of iron daily. In this study, the researchers looked at the effects of iron supplements at doses up to 66mg a day.

Prenatal anemia increases the risk of premature birth. However, very few studies have looked at what effect iron levels during pregnancy might have on birth outcomes. British and American researchers looked at over 90 different studies of prenatal iron use and prenatal anemia involving more than two million women. They found that iron intake (supplements) significantly lowered the risk of developing anemia, and increased the mother's hemoglobin levels. Iron levels were not found to reduce the risk of preterm birth. However, the studies showed that anemia during the first or second trimesters raised the risk giving birth to a low-weight baby.

The investigators found that for every 10 mg increase in daily iron intake:

the risk of anemia went down by 12%

the risk of giving birth to a low-weight baby was reduced by 3%

The authors said, Our findings suggest that use of iron in women during pregnancy may be used as a preventive strategy to improve maternal haematological status and birth weight, rigorous evaluation of the effectiveness of existing antenatal care programmes in high burden countries to identify gaps in policy and programme implementation."They concluded that "prenatal anaemia and iron deficiency have been identified as one of the preventable risk factors for diseasewith a substantial disease burden." Future research should try to find"feasible strategies of iron delivery" and "evaluation of the effectiveness of other strategies, such as fortification and dietary diversification.

This video below shows a number of methods that help detect iron deficiency more effectively