Iron status markers in nonanemic pregnant women with and without iron supplementation.

Objective: To measure levels of markers of anemia before and after delivery in women who had high hemoglobin levels during the early stage of the second trimester of pregnancy and did not receive iron supplementation during their pregnancies.

Methods: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial 244 women who had a hemoglobin concentration of 13.2 g/dL or greater and a serum ferritin level higher than 15 microg/L between the 13th and 18th week of pregnancy took either one 150-mg tablet of ferrous sulfate daily or placebo during their pregnancies.