Anaemia and iron status of pregnant and non-pregnant women in the guinea savanna of Nigeria

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Abstract
Haemoglobin concentration, serum iron, iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation, free erythrocyte protoporphyrin and serum ferritin (SF) were measured in 66 elite non-pregnant and 95 pregnant (27 elite and 68 non-elite) Nigerian women at Zaria, in the guinea savanna. Anaemia (as defined) was observed in 46% non-pregnant, 37% pregnant elite and 52% pregnant non-elite women. Iron deficiency (as defined) was diagnosed in 54, 30 and 25%, respectively. The mean SF in pregnant elite (28·9 μg 1−1was lower, but not significantly, than in pregnant non-elite women (33·6 μg 1−1), either because of less inflammatory disease or because of more iron deficiency. The prevalence of anaemia tended to fall with increasing parity, being 52% in primigravidae and 40% in grande-multigravidae; this was probably due to greater risk of malaria-induced anaemia in Primigravidae. In contrast, prevalence of iron deficiency increased with parity, being 18 and 35%, respectively, in primigravidae and grande-multigravidae. Anaemia and iron deficiency were seen most frequently in the third trimester. Pregnant women in the north of Nigeria require iron supplements irrespective of socioeconomic status or maternal parity.

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