Minerva ginecologica
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Minerva ginecologica · Nov 1996
Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial[Effectiveness and tolerability of oral liquid ferrous gluconate in iron-deficiency anemia in pregnancy and in the immediate post-partum period: comparison with other liquid or solid formulations containing bivalent or trivalent iron].
From the early months of pregnancy and even more so later, women suffer a deficiency of iron along with a decline in their red blood cell count. It is also now clear that women who take iron supplements during pregnancy do not suffer the same post-natal reduction in hemoglobin and ferritin as those who don't make it. A study was therefore conducted on 40 women aged 20-35, with iron-deficiency anaemia during or immediately after pregnancy all of whom presented Hb < 10 gr/dl, Ht < 33% and serum iron < 60 micrograms/dl. All women with pregnancy-related pathological conditions, pre-existing on concomitant disease (Type I diabetes, heart diseases etc.) were excluded from the study. The women whose blood chemical parameters were largely homogeneous at the start of the study were divided into four treatment groups of 10 patients each and were treated as follows: Group A with oral liquid ferrous gluconate (75 mg per diem in 2 vials a day); Group B with solid ferrous gluconate (80 mg per diem in a single effervescent tablet); Group C with solid ferrous sulphate (105 mg per diem in a single tablet); and Group D with ferric protein succinylate (80 mg per diem in 2 vials a day). All were given iron treatment for 30 days. Treatment efficacy was analysed by comparing basal and final parameters using the T-test for paired dependent samples. The tolerance of the 4 treatment protocols was assessed by the analysis of any side effects such as nausea, vomiting, epigastric pain, diarrhoea, constipation or other disorders reported by patients during treatment. ⋯ Numerous preparations containing bivalent or trivalent iron are available for the treatment of iron-deficiency anaemia during or immediately after pregnancy. It has been shown that preparations containing ferrous salts (+2) are more easily absorbed than those containing ferric salts (+3) since the former can be immediately absorbed by the duodenal mucosa. The study reported here reveals that oral ferrous gluconate in liquid form is more effective and above all better tolerated than other solid or liquid formulations containing elementary iron.