Impact of daily and weekly iron supplementation to women in pregnancy and puerperium on haemoglobin and iron status six weeks postpartum: results from a community-based study in Bangladesh

Background: Anaemia and iron-deficiency anaemia in women are global problems that are prevalent throughout the reproductive cycle. Data are scarce on whether iron supplementation in pregnancy and puerperium has a sustained effect on haemoglobin concentration. Objective: To assess whether there is a dose effect of iron supplementation in pregnancy and puerperium on haemoglobin 6 weeks after delivery, and compare the effectiveness of daily and weekly dose regimens at 6 weeks postpartum. Design: 50 antenatal centres were assigned randomly to 1×60 mg iron daily or 2×60 mg once weekly. Data are reported for 146 women (daily, n=67; weekly, n=79): haemoglobin, serum ferritin (sFt) and serum transferrin receptors (sTfR) at baseline and at 6 weeks postpartum. Tablet intake was monitored using pill-bottles…