Study: Ferrochel Effective in Prevention of Iron Deficiency Anemia in Pregnant Women

20 Dec 2013 --- A recent study by Milman, Jonsson, Dyre, Pedersen and Larsen (2013) published in the Journal of Perinatal Medicine, found a low dose ferrous bisglycinate (Aminojern, a product containing Albion’s Ferrochel) to be equivalent to a higher dose ferrous salt with regard to hematological and iron status when used by expectant women.

This finding is important for the prevention of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia, which often coincides with pregnancy.

One of the greatest challenges for pregnant women is maintaining adequate iron levels from conception and throughout gestation. Iron is critical for maintaining a woman’s red iron cell stores and to properly support development of a fetus. With the bioavailability of different iron forms varying so greatly and the preference for lower dose iron supplementation gaining acceptance, researchers of the referenced study sought a comparison of different iron forms and doses.

“In this peer-reviewed study, ferrous bisglycinate was taken by 80 Danish pregnant women throughout their pregnancy with measurements taken at 15-19, 27-29 and 36-37 weeks,” said Max Motyka, Director of Sales and Marketing for Albion’s Human Nutrition Division. Women were assigned to either a group that took a 25 mg dose of a ferrous bisglycinate elemental iron per day or a control group using a 50 mg dose of ferrous sulfate elemental iron per day for the designated time period. We found that participants who received the low dose ferrous bisglycinate benefitted equally to that of the control group with less gastrointestinal complaints. In addition, the newborn weight for the ferrous bisglycinate group was slightly higher than the control group.”

Conclusions from the study suggest that adequate prevention of iron deficiency or iron deficiency anemia can be achieved using a low dose of ferrous iron from 15-19 weeks of gestation with appreciable side effects such as lower gastrointestinal distress and healthier baby birth weights. These findings are very important in for women with a preference or greater tolerance for a lower dose of iron.

*Milman, Jonsson, Dyre, Pedersen and Larsen (2013) Ferrous bisglycinate 25 mg iron is as effective as ferrous sulfate 50 mg iron in the prophylaxis of iron deficiency and anemia during pregnancy in a randomized trial. J Perinat Med. Oct 24:1-10

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