Iron. Iron deficiency with resultant anemia is the most prevalent micronutrient deficiency worldwide, affecting primarily pregnant or lactating women and young children.
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Iron-deficiency anemia in pregnant women in industrialized countries is 17.4%,
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with approximately 9% of adolescent girls and
women of childbearing age in the United
States having inadequate stores of body
iron.
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The high incidence of iron deficiency underscores the need for iron
supplementation in pregnancy. During
the first two trimesters of pregnancy,
iron-deficiency anemia increases the risk
for preterm labor, LBW, and infant mortality.
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Maternal and fetal demand for iron increases during pregnancy; this increase cannot be met without iron supplementation.