Cord blood haemoglobin, iron and ferritin status in maternal anaemia.

Maternal and cord blood haemoglobin, serum iron, transferrin saturation and ferritin were studied in sets of 30 anaemic (haemoglobin less than 110 g/l) and 21 nonanaemic (haemoglobin greater than or equal to 110 g/l) mothers. The cord serum iron, transferrin saturation and ferritin concentrations had significant correlation with maternal haemoglobin. The significant low levels of these parameters suggested that maternal anaemia adversely affected the iron status including iron stores of the newborns. The cord serum iron of 15.2 +/- 4.35 mumol/l and ferritin of 29.7 +/- 10.93 ng/ml seem to be effective to maintain cord haemoglobin levels. Thus, anaemic mothers with reasonably maintained ferritin and transferrin saturation levels provide sufficient iron for maintenance of cord haemoglobin, although foetal iron stores are likely to be depleted.