Iron deficiency is prevalent in a sample of pregnant women at delivery in Germany.

Objective: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of iron deficiency in pregnancy, since iron supplements are not routine in Germany.

Study Design: Soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), ferritin, hemoglobin (Hb), C-reactive protein (CRP) and leucocyte counts were determined in venous blood samples of 378 women before delivery; 191 of them filled in a questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 9.