MOBILISATION OF IRON IN PREGNANCY

Sternal bone-marrow aspirates from pregnant women were stained for storage iron. Hæmatological indicators of iron nutrition were examined throughout the remainder of pregnancy in three groups of women: those with latent or prelatent iron deficiency (as judged by stainable marrow iron) whose iron stores were replenished with parenteral iron and who subsequently were given no supplementary hæmatinics (A) or oral folic acid (B); and those with satisfactory iron stores (C). In group C, low levels of serum-iron developed during pregnancy, and iron-deficiency anæmia developed in some. Hæmatological indicators remained satisfactory in groups A and B, so iron resources in these patients were much greater than the iron content of the bone-marrow indicated. It is suggested that storage iron in the marrow is mobilised early in pregnancy to provide a source of immediately available iron; this mobilisation is achieved, perhaps, by an increase in serum total iron-binding capacity.