Funding outcome

Iron is an important nutrient for delivering oxygen to the body and for ideal growth and development. When mother's iron status in pregnancy is either too low (as in iron deficiency) or too high it can lead to complications such as low birth weight, preterm birth, pre-eclampsia. If her iron status is low it can also lead to baby starting life with low iron. There is not much known about iron status of) pregnant women in Canada. However, new research from Canada and Australia suggest that even women who eat right and take prenatal supplements may not have the amount of iron needed for a healthy pregnancy. In this study we will determine: 1) Iron status in a group of pregnant and early postpartum women using different blood markers. 2) Women's iron intake from diet and supplements and how these affect her iron status, and 3) Whether women's iron status affects her pregnancy and her child at birth (e.g. are they likely to be born with a LBW). The Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) study has already collected information from pregnant women about what they eat, the supplements they take, and their pregnancy outcomes such as weight gain or whether they had pre-eclampsia. APrON has also recently measured a large number of blood markers of iron status. This study is important because it will tell us about the normal ranges of iron status of healthy women during pregnancy and how this has been affected by her diet and supplement intake. It will also tell us about iron status and pregnancy in Canadian women. Results will help to guide help the research and policies needed to improve women and children's health.