[The effect of vitamin, macro and microelement supplementation on markers of iron status in blood of pregnant women].

Interest in assessing iron status in the population of women during their child-bearing age has grown recently both in terms of detecting iron stores and evaluating whether they are sufficient to meet increasing needs during pregnancy. The fact that iron deficiency anaemia often develops in pregnancy indicates that that iron stores and dietary iron are insufficient to requirements and iron supplementation is needed. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of vitamin, macro and microelement supplementation on iron status of pregnant women and of their newborns. It is shown that serum total iron concentration in the group of women without supplementation decreased in the III trimester to 60% of that observed after 12 weeks of pregnancy (p < 0.0001). In supplemented group the decrease was not statistically significant. Increased value of transferin in III trimester in comparison to the I trimester by 38% (p < 0.0001) and by 55% (p < 0.0001) respectively in non supplemented and supplemented groups were found. It was accompanied by significant increase of total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) (p < 0.0001). In both studied groups the level of ferritin was lower in the III than in the I trimester. In serum of women without supplementation, ferritin concentration decreased by 35% (p < 0.003); whereas in supplemented group it was statistically insignificant. In serum of umbilical cord blood concentration of total iron, transferin and ferritin were similar in newborns of both groups of mothers. The above results suggested that vitamin, macro and microelement supplementation of pregnant women improved iron status in mothers and in their children. It seems that administration Vibovitmama formula can be recommended as a dietary supplement in pregnancy in order to prevent subclinical deficiency of iron.