Side effects of iron supplements
Not only a lack of iron can have a negative effect on the unborn child. Your doctor can clarify whether additional iron intake is necessary during pregnancy. In order to avoid excessive intake of iron preparations, this should always be discussed in advance to avoid overdose and unnecessary intake.
Learn more about this under: Iron deficiency anemia
- An excessive intake of iron supplements can lead to premature births and low birth weight.
- Furthermore, there are cases in which the children’s behavior can be abnormal. The study situation in this area is difficult because ethical principles make it difficult to investigate in a structured way what causes an increased iron intake in children.
- Depending on the existing medication, previous illnesses, etc., iron intake could be discouraged, as complaints in the gastro-intestinal tract in particular could occur. Various drugs can increase the stomach-stressing effect of iron preparations.
- In addition, taking iron can reduce or even eliminate the effectiveness of other drugs.
- Side effects of iron administration can include bloating, solid stools and constipation.
This can be prevented by drinking plenty of fluids. Home remedies such as psyllium husks can also be beneficial – consult your doctor about this. In addition, it can also happen that the stool turns dark in color during treatment with iron, since not everything can be absorbed by the body and is therefore excreted again.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis is made by taking a medical history and a blood sample. The blood count can already provide decisive information. The small blood count not only shows different cells in the blood, but also determines how large the red blood cells are and how much hemoglobin (the red blood pigment) they contain.
In the case of red blood cells that are small (microcytic) and have a low haemoglobin content (hypochromic), an important differential diagnosis is iron deficiency. In addition to the changes in the red blood cells, the blood count also shows the total haemoglobin content. This is also reduced in the case of iron deficiency.
For confirmation, the value for the iron storage, the ferritin, is determined at the same time. This value is lower in the case of iron deficiency and is much more meaningful than the iron content in the blood. The normal value of the red blood pigment, i.e. the Hb value, of a woman is between 12.3-15.3 g/dL of blood.
During pregnancy it drops to 11-15 g/dL blood, which corresponds to a completely normal adaptation of the mother’s body. However, if the Hb value is below 11 g/dL blood, this can be an indication of an iron deficiency. The normal ferritin value is between 15 – 100ng/mL blood.
In a pregnant woman, a ferritin value below 30 ng/mL blood should be viewed critically, as more iron reserves are needed and used up during pregnancy. During pregnancy, it must always be weighed up whether substitution with iron preparations is beneficial or whether the risk to the unborn child outweighs the benefit. The limit values are 11 mg/dl in the first and third trimester and 10.5 mg/dl in the second trimester. For all hemoglobin levels below these limits, substitution with iron preparations should be considered.If the hemoglobin value falls below 6 mg/dl blood, pronounced anemia is to be assumed and the pregnant woman may need a blood transfusion.
