I. Why do I need iron supplementation during pregnancy? Iron is essential for both fetal/placental development and increased maternal red blood cell volume. The prevalence of iron deficiency in pregnant women is estimated to be 19-30%. The incidence is relatively higher for pregnant women with low meat intake. II. Where does iron come from? There are two forms of dietary iron sources: heme iron and non-heme iron. 1, heme iron: mainly found in livestock meat, poultry and fish. Heme iron has the highest bioavailability, good absorption and fast blood replenishment. 2.Non-heme iron: 60% of the iron in animal food and all the iron in plant food, fortified cereals and supplements are non-heme iron, and its bioavailability is low. 3. Foods rich in vitamin C or muscle tissue (livestock meat, poultry and seafood) can promote the absorption of non-heme iron, while the intake of dairy products and coffee/tea/cocoa can inhibit its absorption. III. Recommended iron intake during pregnancy 1. Conventional recommendation: Experts recommend an increase of about 15mg/d in iron intake during pregnancy compared to non-pregnancy, which means about 30mg per day is needed to prevent iron deficiency anemia; most maternity-specific multivitamin preparations can easily achieve this goal, and the intake is sufficient for women who are not anemic. The CDC recommends that all pregnant women take 30 mg of iron supplements daily prior to their first prenatal visit. Intermittent iron supplementation (1-3 times/week) may be as effective as daily iron supplementation in preventing anemia at full term and is better tolerated. 2. Pregnant women with iron deficiency anemia (IDA): 100-200 mg of elemental iron supplementation daily is recommended, and hemoglobin (HGB) assessment is repeated after 2 weeks of treatment. Usually the HGB level increases by 10g/L after 2 weeks and 20g/L after 3-4 weeks. 3, non-anemic pregnant women with ferritin below 30ug/L should consume 60mg/d of elemental iron and assess the efficacy after 8 weeks of treatment. IV. Notes on iron supplementation 1. Take iron orally 1 hour before eating to avoid food inhibiting the absorption of non-heme iron. 2.Taken together with vitamin C, it can promote iron absorption. 3.Avoid taking with other drugs at the same time. 4.Take it separately from milk and calcium. V. Is it good to take regular iron supplements during pregnancy? A 2015 systematic evaluation by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force found that routine iron supplementation had variable effects on various pregnancy outcomes but consistently reduced the incidence of iron deficiency anemia at full term. There is no strong evidence that iron supplementation in pregnant women who are not anemic improves clinical outcomes in mothers or children, but iron does play an important role in fetal brain development, and it has been suggested that screening for and treating iron deficiency before the onset of anemia may improve neurodevelopmental outcomes.