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Review
. 2024 Jan 25;12(2):278.
doi: 10.3390/biomedicines12020278.

Is It Time to Alter the Standard of Care for Iron Deficiency/Iron Deficiency Anemia in Reproductive-Age Women?

Mrutyunjaya B Bellad  1 , Anmol Patted  2 , Richard J Derman  2
Affiliations
Review

Is It Time to Alter the Standard of Care for Iron Deficiency/Iron Deficiency Anemia in Reproductive-Age Women?

Mrutyunjaya B Bellad et al. Biomedicines. .

Abstract

Two billion people worldwide suffer from anemia, with reproductive-age women being disproportionately affected. Iron plays a crucial role in cellular function and impacts cognition, physical function, and quality of life. Iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) are associated with adverse effects on pregnancy and fetal development. Oral iron supplementation has been the standard treatment for decades, often producing sub-optimal outcomes. Many babies are still being born with ID and suffer adverse sequelae due to inadequate iron levels in the mothers. Is it time to consider a broad scale-up of parenteral iron as a new standard of care?

Keywords: anemia; intravenous iron supplementation; iron deficiency; pregnancy; women.

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Conflict of interest statement

MB reports receipt of grants and/or travel support from the National Institutes of Health, Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, CIFF, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Thrasher Research Fund. Additionally, he reports the receipt of 100 vials of 500 mg of ferric carboxymaltose from Emcure pharmaceuticals and iron isomaltoside from Lupin pharmaceuticals each for a postgraduate trainee’s dissertation study. These donors have no role in the development of the study design, data collection and analysis, writing of manuscript, or decision to publish findings. AP reports receipt of grant and travel support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. RD reports receipt of grants and travel support from the National Institutes of Health, Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, CIFF, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Thrasher Research Fund.

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