Suboptimal iron deficiency screening in pregnancy and the impact of socioeconomic status in a high-resource setting.

ABSTRACT: Iron deficiency (ID) anemia in pregnancy is associated with poor maternal and childhood outcomes, yet ferritin testing, the standard test for ID, is not considered part of routine prenatal bloodwork in Canada. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 44 552 pregnant patients with prenatal testing at community laboratories in Ontario, Canada, to determine the prevalence of ferritin testing over 5 years. Secondary objectives were to determine the prevalence and severity of ID and to identify clinical and demographic variables that influence the likelihood of ID screening. A total of 59.4% of patients had a ferritin checked during pregnancy; 71.4% were ordered in the first trimester, when the risk of ID is lowest. Excluding patients with abnormally elevated ferritins, 25.2% were iron insu

SUBMITTER: Teichman J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8759118 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature