Effectiveness of Dietary Interventions in Prevention and Treatment of Iron-Deficiency Anemia in Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Study answer

What this study found

Dietary interventions to increase iron intake or improve iron bioavailability consistently improved iron status or prevented/treated iron-deficiency anemia in pregnancy across multiple RCTs. Fortified foods/beverages and iron-rich dietary modifications increased hemoglobin and iron stores and reduced anemia risk; counseling-only approaches also showed benefit. These findings support integrating dietary fortification and nutrition counseling into prenatal care as a feasible approach to prevent/treat iron-deficiency anemia during pregnancy, potentially aiding adherence where iron…

Study & population

Randomized controlled trials in pregnant women (anemic and/or mixed iron status) from India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Tanzania, and Egypt; ages typically 15–49 years; study sizes ranged from about 86 to 495 participants; designs were randomized controlled trials comparing dietary interventions (fortified foods/beverages, regular foods, or counseling)…

Intervention

Regimens included iron fortification of foods and beverages and dietary counseling.

Key limitation

Risk of bias varied across trials (some with moderate to high risk due to randomization, deviations from intervention, or selective reporting); limited number of studies with heterogeneous regimens, populations, and durations; outcomes are largely biochemical with limited clinical endpoints.

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Original abstract