Evaluation by serum ferritin assay of the influence of maternal iron stores on the iron status of newborns and infants.

Serum ferritin concentration was measured in 47 paired maternal and newborn (umbilical cord sample) blood specimens during delivery. The serum ferritin concentration was also measured in 31 of the above babies at the age of six months. Serum ferritin concentration of the newborn babies (mean 222 microgram/l) born to the mothers with a low serum ferritin content at term (mean 28 microgram/l) was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than that of those (mean 324 microgram/l) born to the mothers with a normal ferritin concentration (mean 102 microgram/l). The difference between the two groups of infants persisted for at least the whole study period of 6 months (mean at 6 months of age 99 microgram/l and 150 microgram/l, respectively).