Red blood cell indices versus serum ferritin as surrogate markers of iron deficiency during pregnancy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Serum ferritin testing is the most commonly used method for screening for iron deficiency. However, iron deficiency screening is not routinely done in low-middle-income countries, including Nigeria, often due to the cost of laboratory evaluation.

Aim

This study determined the diagnostic value of red blood cell indices, which are cheaper and quicker to conduct, compared to serum ferritin to diagnose iron deficiency during pregnancy.

Methodology

A cross-sectional study of 857 pregnant women at 36 weeks gestation in Nigeria. Standard laboratory techniques assayed mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean cell haemoglobin (MCH), mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), red cell distribution width (RDW) and serum ferritin. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient of

SUBMITTER: Babah OA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12571326 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature