Iron supplementation in pregnancy

Routine iron supplementation in pregnancy to prevent iron-deficiency anaemia and reduce obstetric complications. WHO guidance recommends 30–60 mg of elemental iron daily for all pregnant women, even with normal haemoglobin.

ICD-10 O99.01 drug

Also known as: Antenatal iron supplementation

Drugs used for this condition

AIron oral (salts: sulfate, bisglycinate, fumarate, gluconate, polymaltose; heme iron polypeptide, lactoferrin)First line · Oral iron preparations; antianaemic agentsIron deficiency prevention in pregnancy. NICE and WHO recommend 30–60 mg of elemental iron daily or alternate-day from the second trimester, especially with low baseline ferritin. SEGO applies a similar regimen in Spain. AEMPS approves Tardyferon and Ferro Sanol for this indication. Self-prescribing high-dose iron without testing is rarely warranted: in patients with HFE mutations (asymptomatic haemochromatosis) iron overload accelerates hepatic damage.

How to read tiers A–F

Evidence tiers belong to the drug-indication pair, not to the drug as a whole: the same substance can be A for one condition and F for another.

AStrong evidence – first or second line in international guidelines
BRecommended in selected cases
CStudy data contradict each other
DBenefit not proven, no documented harm
FDocumented harm, or risk without benefit