Stress May Lead to Iron Deficiency In Expecting Mothers

Author: Sean Wells
Iron is a crucial component not only in the nutrition of adult women—whose RDA is set at 18 mg—but for their children. Iron is an important factor in the development of the major organ systems, especially the brain. Recent research indicates that newborns whose mothers are placed under chronic stress during the first trimester of pregnancy may be at greater risk for low iron status, which could lead to delays in physical and mental development.

This study, conducted by researchers from Ashkelon Academic College and Barzilai Medical Center in Israel and the University of Michigan, is the first in humans to suggest that maternal stress early in pregnancy presents another risk factor for low iron status in newborns. Led by Rinat Armony-Sivan, PhD, director of the psychology research laboratory at Ashkelon Academic College, the research team recruited pregnant women who were about to give birth at Barzilai Medical Center in southern Israel.

The first group of women lived in an area where more than 600 rocket attacks during the Gaza War known as the Oferet Yetzuka operation occurred during their first trimester of pregnancy. The control group lived in the same area, and was subject to the same stress factor, but became pregnant three to four months after the rocket attacks ended.

Members of each group were questioned briefly at the delivery room reception desk to determine whether they were healthy and without pregnancy complications. Eligible women were interviewed after delivery about their background and health during pregnancy, also completing questionnaires about depression, anxiety and stress level during pregnancy.

Serum iron concentrations from each child were measured as well, with results showing that the 63 babies whose mothers were in the stress group had significantly lower cord-blood ferritin concentrations than the 77 infants in the control group.

“Our findings indicate that infants whose mothers were stressed during pregnancy are a previously unrecognized risk group for iron deficiency,” Dr. Armony-Sivan said. “Pregnant women should be aware that their health, nutrition, stress level and state of mind will affect their baby’s health and well-being.”

Established risk factors for poor iron status in infants are maternal iron deficiency, diabetes, premature birth and low birthweight. In addition to investigating these, women who are expecting may be advised to reduce daily stress to a minimum, and carefully monitor iron intake.