How many months pregnant should iron supplements?

Ask
Hello doctor,
The doctor asked me what month pregnant should I take iron supplements? I thank you doctor.
Lam Mong Kha (1998)
Answer
Answered by Specialist Doctor I Pham Thi Yen - Obstetrician - Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.
Hello friends,
With the question “What month pregnant should I supplement with iron? ", the doctor would like to answer as follows:
Normally, a woman during pregnancy needs more blood than usual, this helps to enhance the health and development needs of the fetus.
Besides, iron also has the effect of increasing appetite. For pregnant women who suffer from anemia (due to iron deficiency) will have anorexia, difficulty sleeping, fatigue because the amount of oxygen to the brain as well as the cells in the body is very little. Iron deficiency is also the cause of decreased maternal resistance leading to infection. This more or less affects babies born at high risk of anemia, leading to poor health.
For mothers with iron deficiency, it will increase the risk of premature birth, postpartum infections, postpartum hemorrhage, body weakness, ... This is also a factor leading to fetal malnutrition, prematurity, underweight, affecting the physical and mental development of children later.
Therefore, iron supplementation during pregnancy is extremely important for pregnant women. Normally, before becoming pregnant a woman needs at least 15mg/day. By the time you get pregnant, your body will need twice as much iron, about 30mg/day. In case of insufficient supply, pregnant women will develop anemia, affecting the health of the fetus.
As recommended by the World Health Organization, women who first find out that they are pregnant should take iron tablets every day, taking them until one month after giving birth. The supplement dose is 60mg of iron plus 400mcg folic acid per day. In addition, should also use foods fortified with iron, folic acid for pregnant women. The safest and richest source of iron for pregnant women are the foods we eat every day. Iron is abundant in red meats such as heart, liver, poultry, fish, clams, oysters, egg yolks; Legumes, whole grains, dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, pumpkin and dried fruit. In particular, animal origin is considered to be a better source of iron absorption than plant. In a normal person can absorb 10-15% of iron from animals, this figure is only 5-10% of iron in plants.
In addition to supplementing with iron, mothers should also pay attention to add other substances such as Folate and its synthetic form of folic acid, Vitamin B-12,... Because these substances are also involved in the process. blood formation. Currently, in multivitamin tablets, there is usually a fairly high iron content, usually about 24mg / multivitamin. Therefore, as soon as you know you are pregnant, you should use a multivitamin containing iron for pregnant women.
Whether to supplement with single iron tablets or not, you need to consult a doctor. If you add too much iron, your body will have an excess of iron, which will damage the liver and affect the baby, there are even cases where pregnant women carry a hemolytic gene that makes the concentration of free iron in the mother's body quite high. Overdose can be dangerous to the life of the pregnant woman and the baby. Therefore, you need to see a doctor to get the right prescription for the right medication.
If you still have questions about iron supplements, you can go to a hospital under Vinmec Health System for further examination and advice. Thank you for trusting and sending questions to Vinmec. Wishing you lots of health.
Best regards!