Lactoferrin Versus Ferrous Sulphate for the Treatment of Iron Deficiency Anemia during Pregnancy (A Randomized Clinical Trial)

Abstract

ron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the condition in which there is decrease in the number of red blood cells or the amount of hemoglobin in the blood. It is caused by insufficient dietary intake and absorption of iron, or iron loss from bleeding. Bleeding can be from a range of sources such as the intestinal, uterine or urinary tract (Stedman's Medical Dictionary, 2006). Anemia has a significant impact on the health of the fetus as well as that of the mother. It impairs the oxygen delivery through the placenta to the fetus and interferes with the normal intrauterine growth, leading to fetal loss and perinatal deaths. Anemia is associated with increased preterm labor (28.2%), preeclampsia (31.2%), and maternal sepsis (Sharma, 2008). The oral route is the first choice to replace iron stores as this allows the normal mechanism of absorption to be used, in addition to being an inexpensive and effective treatment (Sharma, 2008). Ferrous sulfate is the most widely used iron preparation throughout the world. However, despite efficacy and low cost, this drug is associated with high rate of side effects, mainly affecting the gastrointestinal system (Brock, 2002). Lactoferrin is a protein found in cow milk and human milk. Colostrum, the first milk produced after a baby is born, contains high levels of lactoferrin, about seven times the amount found in milk produced later on.