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Is intravenous iron sucrose the treatment of choice for pregnant anemic women?

The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research
March 1, 2013
Niveditha Devasenapathy et al. (3 authors)
Journal ArticleReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of intravenous iron sucrose for treating anemia in pregnant women, focusing on hematological and clinical outcomes.

Results Summary

The study found convincing evidence that intravenous iron sucrose improves hemoglobin and serum ferritin levels in anemic pregnant women, but its effects on maternal and fetal outcomes remain unclear due to insufficient large-scale studies.

Population

Pregnant women with moderate to severe anemia in developing countries, particularly India.

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (6)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
oral iron
no change
anemia treatment
anemic pregnant women
-
ineffectiveness
#1
intravenous iron sucrose
increase
anemia treatment
moderate to severely anemic pregnant women
-
promising therapy
#2
intravenous iron sucrose
increase
hemoglobin
anemic pregnant women
-
efficacy in improving
#3
intravenous iron sucrose
increase
serum ferritin
anemic pregnant women
-
efficacy in improving
#4
intravenous iron sucrose
no change
maternal outcomes
anemic pregnant women
-
effect on
#5
intravenous iron sucrose
no change
fetal outcomes
anemic pregnant women
-
effect on
#6
Abstract

Anemia during pregnancy remains an important public health problem in developing countries like India. Anemia is the direct cause of 12-15% of maternal deaths. Iron deficiency is the commonest cause for anemia in the Indian subcontinent. Several preventive and therapeutic approaches are in practice. The available routes of iron supplementation are oral and intravenous. In spite of oral iron being least invasive, cheap and safe, the ineffectiveness of oral iron due to dietary inhibitors and poor compliance are well known. Intravenous iron sucrose can be a promising therapy for moderate to severely anemic pregnant women and has been in practice for quite some time in private and public health practices. In this article, we report the current evidence on the safety and efficacy of intravenous iron sucrose in anemic pregnant women on hematological and clinical outcomes. Though the evidence on its efficacy in improving hemoglobin and serum ferritin is convincing, its effect on maternal and fetal outcomes are unclear. This is primarily due to lack of well-designed and larger studies powered to detect difference in clinical outcomes. Hence, there is a need to gather evidence from a well-designed large randomized clinical trial conducted in a developing country. The results of such a study would feed into the national policy and would form the basis to frame guidelines for management of anemia in developing countries.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AnemiaFemaleFerric CompoundsFerric Oxide, SaccharatedGlucaric AcidHematinicsHumansInjections, IntravenousPregnancyPregnancy ComplicationsPregnancy OutcomeTreatment Outcome
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy75/10
Quality60/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations8
Citations/Year0.7
Relative Citation Ratio0.36
NIH Percentile19.5%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.25
Weight Score1.21
Normalized Score0.62
Related Supplements
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