Prevalencia de deficiencia de hierro y de anemia por deficiencia de hierro en adolescentes embarazadas del noroeste de México, 2007-2008

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) remains a word public health problem, particularly in children and child-bearing-age women. Iron demands need to be covered by adolescent women due to the increased physical growing, menstruation, pregnancy and fetal growing tissues at this life stage. This study was proposed to investigate the prevalence of iron deficiency and IDA in pregnant adolescent women from Northwestern Mexico. Participated 186 women under 19 years old during the first or second trimester of pregnancy who attended the local health institutions in Hermosillo Sonora. Questionnaires and 24 hr recalls were administered to collect socioeconomic and dietary information respectively. Hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit, ferritin and eritrocytic protoporphyrin were measured. Hb and ferritin values were used to categorize the recruited women into normal (37.4%), iron deficient (55.5%) and IDA (7.1%) groups. Six and seven women showed moderated and light anemia status in the IDA group. Fe and fiber intake and weeks of pregnancy were associated with the biochemical indicators of iron at least in two women groups. The high percentage of iron deficient women in this study is demanding the identification and attention of maternal factors and food habits that are risk of iron deficiency in pregnant women.