What Type Of Iron Supplement For Pregnancy

Prenatal vitamins typically contain iron.

What type of iron supplement for pregnancy. In supplements you ll find various iron sources such as elemental iron ferrous fumarate and ferrous sulfate to name a few. You might find one type suits you better than another if the one you choose gives you lots of side effects then change to a different type. Taking an iron supplement can help ensure you get enough iron every day. In the united states the prevalence of iron deficiency in pregnant women is around 18 percent.

Iron supplements can help reverse an iron deficiency when dietary changes alone are unsuccessful. In some cases your health care provider might recommend a separate iron supplement. Iron deficiency anemia is one condition that will require iron supplements. During pregnancy a woman s body needs double the amount of iron it usually does to help supply oxygen to the baby.

It can lead to a condition called kernicterus a rare type of brain damage that can be fatal. There are many different types of oral iron. Certain people including pregnant women infants young children heavy exercisers and those. The most bioavailable type is ferrous iron which is most often recommended as ferrous sulfate ferrous fumarate and ferrous gluconate.

This extra demand increases the risk of developing iron deficiency anemia. People experiencing less severe forms of iron deficiency due to pregnancy or blood loss may also need to take iron. In most cases you will get enough iron in your prenatal vitamin since many types contain the recommended amount of iron.