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In pregnant women with anemia, intravenous iron therapy leads to faster hemoglobin improvement and fewer side effects than oral iron therapy.
A new meta-analysis highlights the potential benefits of intravenous (IV) iron therapy over traditional oral iron supplementation for mitigating iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in pregnant women—a condition that remains a substantial global public health concern due to its link with maternal and neonatal complications.
The comprehensive review analyzed data from 15 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) encompassing 4,215 pregnant women. Hemoglobin improvement, adverse events, and maternal and neonatal complications were monitored. The results revealed that IV iron therapy led to a remarkably faster and greater rise in hemoglobin levels when compared to oral iron, with an average increase of 2.05 g/dL versus 1.65 g/dL, respectively.
While the overall rate of maternal complications was 21% lower among those receiving IV iron, individual maternal outcomes did not show statistically significant differences. Similarly, key neonatal outcomes—including birth weight, cord hemoglobin levels, and rates of preterm birth—were comparable between the study groups. Notably, adverse events were quite less frequent in the IV iron group (odds ratio 0.38), suggesting that IV therapy may offer a safer profile for pregnant women who experience gastrointestinal side effects from oral iron.
The quality of evidence was rated high for hemoglobin improvement, but moderate-to-low for maternal and neonatal outcomes. Researchers conclude that while IV iron therapy is superior for rapid anemia correction and is associated with fewer adverse events, further studies are needed to fully understand its impact on meaningful clinical outcomes and to establish cost-effective strategies for IDA during pregnancy.
Cureus
Comparing the Treatment Outcomes of Oral and Injectable Iron Therapies for Anemia in Pregnancy: A Meta-Analysis
Junaid Qayyum et al.
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