IRON STATUS OF PREGNANT WOMEN ATTENDING AN ANTENATAL CLINIC IN BENIN CITY, NIGERIA

The Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria gives great attention to pregnant women in other to minimize morbidity and mortality, but some perennial problems including poor Nutrition, position in polygamous homes, poor child spacing, non compliance to supplementation of hematinic and women entering pregnancy with iron depleted status. This study was aimed at determining the iron status of pregnant women in Benin City.240 pregnant women (80 in each trimester), aged between 18 and 42years and 80 non pregnant women (age and sex matched control) participated in the study. Hemoglobin concentration was estimated using the cyanmethemoglobin method .Serum ferritin was determined by enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay technique. Serum iron was determined by spectrophometric method. It was observed that, there was a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in Hemoglobin concentration, serum iron and serum ferritin at stage 1 when compared with state 2, 3 and 4. Pregnant women are prone to iron deficiency anaemia due to the increased physiological demand of the growing fetus and inadequate dietary iron.