[Assessment of nutritional education and iron supplement impact on prevention of pregnancy anemia].

Introduction: Iron and folic acid deficiencies are the major causes of health problems among pregnant women and children, with a significant negative impact on economic and social development.

Objective: From April 2002 to April 2003 at the Gilberto Mejía Mejía Hospital (Rionegro, Antioquia), the prenatal program was assessed for its impact on a cohort of pregnant women concerning knowledge of the following nutritional parameters: iron and folic acid functions, their source foods and bioavailability, supplement intake and tolerance, and globular indexes.

Methods: A sample of 42 pregnant women was subjected to a nutritional education program along with the administration of a supplement consisting of 60 mg elemental iron, 400 microg folic acid, and 70 mg vitamin C.