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Pregnant women

Maternal Anemia Linked to Lower Neonatal Hemoglobin and Ferritin Levels

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A recent study published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth found that maternal anemia is a common condition associated with lower neonatal cord blood hemoglobin and ferritin levels. The research, conducted at Soite Keski-Pohjanmaan Hospital in Kokkola, Finland, aimed to evaluate the effect of third-trimester maternal iron deficiency and anemia on neonatal cord-blood hemoglobin and serum ferritin levels.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study included 627 pregnant women, of which 226 (36%) were diagnosed as anemic, with 130 (57.5%) having mild, 94 (41.6%) moderate, and 2 (0.9%) severe anemia.
  • Mean maternal hemoglobin levels were 9.9±0.9 g/dl and 12.1±0.9 g/dl in the anemic and non-anemic groups, respectively.
  • The mean maternal serum ferritin of anemic and non-anemic mothers were 11.7 ng/ml and 15.8 ng/ml, respectively (p 0.05).
  • Cord-blood serum ferritin concentrations were found to be 119 ± 85.7 ng/ml and 136.4 ± 87.9 ng/ml in the low and normal maternal serum ferritin groups, respectively (p = 0.015).
  • Maternal anemia is common and independently associated with lower neonatal cord blood hemoglobin and ferritin levels.
  • Lack of iron supplementation during pregnancy, rather than anemia itself, was the strongest independent predictor of neonatal anemia.
  • The research highlights the importance of routine antenatal iron supplementation to support fetal iron status and improve perinatal outcomes.

Statistics:

  • 36% of pregnant women (226 out of 627) were diagnosed with anemia.
  • Women with anemia had lower mean maternal hemoglobin levels (9.9±0.9 g/dl) compared to non-anemic women (12.1±0.9 g/dl).
  • Maternal serum ferritin levels were lower in anemic women (11.7 ng/ml) compared to non-anemic women (15.8 ng/ml).
  • Cord-blood serum ferritin concentrations were significantly lower in the low maternal serum ferritin group (119 ± 85.7 ng/ml) compared to the normal maternal serum ferritin group (136.4 ± 87.9 ng/ml).

Sources:

  • Association between maternal anemia and cord blood hemoglobin and ferritin concentrations in newborns: a Single-center study in Turkey. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2025;25(1):1022.
  • NewsRx. Findings from Department of Pediatrics Broaden Understanding of Anemia (Association between maternal anemia and cord blood hemoglobin and ferritin concentrations in newborns: a Single-center study in Turkey). Hematology Week. October 20, 2025; p 901.

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