Efficacy and safety of iron supplements in the treatment of anemia in pregnant women

Introduction. Therapy for iron deficiency conditions that complicate pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period is always considered from the standpoint of the relationship between the safety and effectiveness of the medication, forming the patient’s commitment to long-term treatment.

Aim. To analyze the therapeutic efficacy, clinical tolerance and perinatal outcomes when using a ferrous sulfate medication and Ascorbic acid in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in pregnant women.

Materials and methods. The study included 61 women diagnosed with mild IDA in the first half of pregnancy (main group). The medication for treatment of Iron deficient anemia was used Sorbifer Durules (iron sulfate 100 mg Fe²⁺ and Ascorbic acid 60 mg) 100 mg two times per day, until the normalization of hematological parameters and improvement of the clinical picture, with a transition to 100 mg per day until delivery to prevent IDA. The control group included 43 pregnant women without IDA.

Results. The gestational age included in the observation was 14.9 (3.9) weeks. The positive dynamics were revealed an increase in hemoglobin levels by 6.3 g/l (p < 0.05) after one month of the therapy with further increase in hemoglobin at the end of the third trimester of pregnancy (36.9 ± 1.0 week) by 10.4 g/l (p < 0.05). A decrease in hemoglobin levels to 109.2 ± 6.5 and 114.1 ± 8.4 g/l was noted in patients of the main and control groups after delivery, while maintaining average parameters within the physiological values for the first week of the postpartum period (more than 100 g/l). Adverse events during treatment were recorded in 4.9% of pregnant women; there were no clinical cases requiring cessation of medication.

Conclusion. Clinical data and hematological parameters during therapy with a combination of Ferrous sulfate and Ascorbic acid in an extended-release formula (Sorbifer Durules) in pregnant women demonstrated good tolerance and efficacy in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia.

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