AUSTIN, TEX. – Utilizing intravenous treatment for iron deficiency in anemic pregnant women was more efficacious than oral iron supplements, according to a study presented at the annual clinical and scientific meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
With 42% of pregnancies worldwide affected by anemia, according to the World Health Organization, improving treatment beyond the standard oral treatment could have a large effect on decreasing pregnancy complications.
“Women with bariatric surgery and inflammatory bowel disease are at higher risk of failure,” said Shravya Govindappagari, MD, a gynecologist affiliated with New York–Presbyterian Hospital. “Intravenous iron overcomes the limited intestinal absorption of oral formulations, and may increase iron stores more quickly.”
Dr. Govindappagari and her colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of 11 randomly controlled trials published between 2002 and 2017 to uncover the possible benefits of intravenous iron over oral treatment.
Studies were conducted in India, Egypt, France, and Turkey, with one additional multicenter study that gathered patients from seven different countries. Participants were given iron sucrose, ferric carboxymaltose, or low molecular weight iron dextran, according to Dr. Govindappagari.
In an overall assessment of subjects who achieved target hemoglobin levels, patients receiving intravenous iron were 2.66 times more likely to reach target levels than those given oral treatment (P less than .001). After 4 weeks of treatment, patients in the intravenous groups had a mean hemoglobin increase of 0.84 g/dl higher than those in the oral group (P less than .001).
Some clinicians may be wary about switching treatment modality from oral to intravenous; however, Dr. Govindappagari and fellow investigators found those taking oral treatment were 35% more likely to experience adverse effects than those receiving intravenous treatment.