Effectiveness of Daily Vs Weekly Iron Therapy in Pregnant Women – A Comparative Study

Abstract

Background: Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is a major dietary deficiency in developing countries including India. Iron consumption has less compliance due to various side effects, mainly gastritis. Various regimens are being evaluated for iron supplementation for preventing IDA. Method: This prospective interventional study was carried out in Dhiraj Hospital, a tertiary care hospital in Vadodara. 110 pregnant women in the study criteria were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 received daily and Group 2 received weekly iron supplementation. Results: Final average haemoglobin at 12th week was 11.82 gm/dl in Group 1 and 12.43 gm/dl in Group 2 (p < 0.05). There were significant more side effects in women who received daily iron (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Weekly iron supplementation is effective in preventing iron deficiency in pregnancy. It has better compliance and fewer side effects.