Iron-deficiency anaemia in pregnancy: (biochemical investigations of iron-deficiency and nutritional status).

Biochemical investigations on iron deficiency and nutritional status were carried out in a group of 130 women in the second or third trimesters of pregnancy and in 42 control non-pregnant women. The important findings were: 1. Anaemia was present in 46.1% of pregnant women in comparison with 19% in non-pregnant women. It was found to be more prevalent in the third trimester of pregnancy. 2. Iron deficiency with and without anaemia, as judged from serum transferrin saturation (%) was evident in 59.2% of pregnant women with an incidence of 70.3% in the third trimester of pregnancy. 3. Serum albumin, gamma globulin and A/G ratio were found to be decreased in pregnancy whereas serum levels of alpha-2 and beta globulins were elevated. The results have been discussed.