Iron deficiency in pregnancy: symptoms

What does the body need iron for?

Iron is a vital trace element that is required for blood formation in addition to various metabolic functions. The micronutrient cannot be produced by the body itself and must therefore be ingested daily with food. Iron is released from food in the small intestine and transported to the bone marrow via the bloodstream. There, the iron plays a key role in the formation of red blood cells, the so-called hemoglobin. The red blood pigment has the important task of transporting the oxygen contained in the blood to the lungs and thus ensuring the optimal supply of the whole body. During pregnancy, iron is also responsible for the baby’s growth and brain development .

How does iron deficiency occur during pregnancy?

The human body is basically able to store iron. Excess iron that is not used by the body immediately can be stored in depots that the body can access when needed later. However, since not enough iron is often ingested through normal nutrition, the iron requirement is not fully covered in about 50 percent of all women. As a result, the storage tanks cannot be filled sufficiently. So even without pregnancy, many women already have a latent iron deficiency.

During pregnancy, the supply shortage described becomes even more problematic. Because in pregnant women, the blood volume increases by about 30 to 40 percent, since the growing uterus must be supplied with sufficient blood. So that enough new blood can be formed and an optimal oxygen supply can be guaranteed for mother and child, the need for iron increases to twice the previous requirement. Iron becomes one of the most important nutrients during pregnancy. The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) recommends a daily iron intake of around 30 milligrams for pregnant women, as can be read here .

Iron requirements are highest between the 8th and 22nd week of pregnancy . However, since even now it is usually not possible to get enough iron from food and the body thus resorts to the meager supplies, acute iron deficiency often occurs in the last third of pregnancy .

How is iron deficiency manifested during pregnancy?

A long-term undersupply of iron can lead to insufficient production of red blood cells. The result is often:

• fatigue
• exhaustion
• physical and mental weakness
• nervousness
• insomnia and loss of appetite
• headache
• paleness
• brittle and cracked skin
• brittle nails
• increased susceptibility to infection

If there are not enough red blood cells, it can also lead to anemia. In this case, the placenta can often no longer be supplied with sufficient oxygen and as a result does not continue to develop as planned. This in turn affects the baby’s oxygen supply and can negatively affect brain development. Anemia also increases the risk of miscarriage or premature birth and can cause the mother to lose an unusual amount of blood during childbirth.

Diagnosis of iron deficiency by the gynecologist

Iron deficiency can manifest itself in many different ways. In order to safely rule out a serious iron deficiency during pregnancy, your gynecologist will therefore regularly check the hemoglobin value, or Hb value, in your blood. He/she can also determine the level of the body’s iron stores using the so-called serum ferritin value. If an acute iron deficiency is determined during this examination, it will be corrected as quickly as possible. This can be done by changing your diet or by taking certain supplements. If the iron levels in the blood are particularly low and reach a critical level, a blood transfusion may also be necessary at times. However, this rarely happens.

Adapt diet to iron requirements

With a conscious change in diet, you can replenish your iron stores before you become pregnant and cover the increased need during pregnancy. We have put together some foods for you here that have a particularly high iron content and that you should therefore eat more of during pregnancy:

• Lean red meat, shellfish, eggs, and fish can slowly replenish your iron stores when eaten regularly. Fried liver also contains a lot of iron. However, you should only buy these in organic quality, as they contain fewer harmful substances. Because of the increased pollution of the liver, you should also refrain from eating it in the first trimester of pregnancy. Important: Make sure that the food is sufficiently cooked or well-done. You should definitely avoid raw and smoked foods during pregnancy. You can read more about this here.
• Legumes, nuts and whole grain products such as millet or oatmeal contain a good portion of iron as well as lots of healthy fiber. These foods can therefore also be on your menu more often.
• Fruit also has a lot to offer when it comes to iron. Dried fruits , especially apricots , contain a lot of iron. Red juices , such as grape or cherry juice , also contribute significantly to the supply of iron.
• A variety of vegetables also contain larger portions of iron. These include mainly dark green vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, peas and beans . But fennel and beetroot are also good sources of iron.

Iron from animal foods is usually easier for the body to utilize. Because many plant products contain substances that inhibit the absorption and utilization of iron, such as phytin in certain types of grain, soy and rice or oxalic acid in spinach and rhubarb.

However, you can promote the utilization of iron from plant-based foods by taking vitamin C at the same time. For example, drink a glass of orange, sea buckthorn, or grapefruit juice with your meal, or sprinkle some lemon juice on iron-rich foods to improve iron absorption.

Are Iron Supplements Necessary?

In many cases, an iron-rich diet alone is not sufficient to cover the actual iron requirement of 30 milligrams per day. Because only about ten percent of the iron ingested through food can be effectively utilized by the body. If there is an acute iron deficiency during pregnancy, quick action is sometimes required. Therefore, you do not always have the opportunity to gradually replenish your iron stores through conscious nutrition. If necessary, it is therefore advisable to supplement the diet with a special iron preparation. However, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Do not dose iron supplements on your own, but discuss this in detail with your doctor. Based on your blood values, he/she can estimate exactly how much iron you need to add to your body and thus avoid a possible overdose.
• Stomach pain or constipation often occurs when taking iron supplements. You may be able to mitigate these side effects by not taking the iron supplement on an empty stomach, as recommended in many package inserts, but by taking it with or after a meal.
• The absorption processes of magnesium and iron by the body hinder each other. So if you also use a magnesium supplement, there should be at least two hours between the individual intakes so as not to curb the respective effect.