Routine Iron Supplementation During Pregnancy

MINERAL and vitamin supplements are prescribed routinely to pregnant women in the United States as a normal part of prenatal care. These supplements are usually prescribed as preparations that include 25 to 65 mg of elemental iron, along with other minerals (eg, calcium, zinc, magnesium, and copper) and vitamins. Few studies have examined the clinical effectiveness of prenatal vitamin preparations as a group. In this report, the US Preventive Services Task Force examines the efficacy and effectiveness of iron in improving outcomes for the mother, fetus, and developing child. Iron is prescribed routinely, even without laboratory evidence of anemia or iron deficiency, because both conditions are thought to be common during pregnancy; potentially harmful to the mother, fetus, and newborn; and preventable through iron supplementation. The purpose of this review is to evaluate these assumptions, based on current scientific evidence from published clinical research. Recommendations based on this evidence are