Personalised iron supply for prophylaxis and treatment of pregnant women as a way to ensure normal iron levels in their breast milk

Abstract

Rationale: Because the characteristics of all body fluids depends on patient's health status, is it possible that disadvantaged and socially vulnerable mothers may have lower amounts of iron in their breast milk, and that their babies receive lower content of the mineral for their normal growth and development. Assuring a preventive treatment of the mother might solve this problem.

Objective: To demonstrate breast milk iron content from disadvantaged mothers and impact of personalized iron supplementation program.

Materials and methods: cross-sectional study. Breast milk samples were obtained for ferritin analysis. Health's services usually provides free folic acid and iron treatment however, treatment compliance is low. Patients were random in two groups: "A: Controls" that had free iron tablets available from Health Centre; and "B: Intervention" group where patients accepted to be periodically contacted at home by health's team for personalized iron dispensation.

Results: 360 patients were included. Profilaxis and treatment compliance were 100% and 97,6% for B group while for "Control" one was 63% and 34%(p0.0001). Higher breast milk iron levels were detected in Intervention's mothers compared with control's patients (p0.007).

Conclusion: Personalized iron prophylaxis and treatment increased breast milk iron levels. Public health policy must ensure iron dispensation for each underserved mother in order to reduce children problems associate to iron deficiency during the first year of their life.

Keywords: breastfeeding; health; iron deficiency; policy.