The relative effectiveness of daily supplementation of
iron deficiency during pregnancy using 15 mg/day of
iron from
iron-bis-glycinate chelate (71 pregnant women), or 40 mg
iron from
ferrous sulfate (74 pregnant women) was evaluated by measuring
hemoglobin,
transferrin saturation and serum
ferritin, at the beginning of the study (< 20 weeks of pregnancy) and at 20-30 weeks and 30-40 weeks thereafter. Ingestion for 13 weeks or more was considered adequate. Seventy three percent of the
Ferrochel consuming group and 35% of the
ferrous sulfate consuming group were considered to have taken the treatment adequately. The decrease in levels of all the measured parameters was significantly less pronounced in the group that consumed
Ferrochel in spite of the lower treatment dose.
Iron depletion was found in 30.8% of the women treated with
Ferrochel and in 54.5% of the women than consumed
ferrous sulfate. Of the factors responsible for non compliance taste was reported in 29.8% of the
ferrous sulfate consumers and none in the groups that consumed
Ferrochel. It is concluded that daily supplementation with
Ferrochel was significantly more effective, in spite of the lower dose, than supplementation with
ferrous sulfate.