Comparative study of oral iron and intravenous iron sucrose for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of iron sucrose with oral iron in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia of pregnancy.Methods: An interventional comparative study was conducted at Jhalawar Medical College, Jhalawar involving 80 pregnant women with iron deficiency anemia from March 2016 to August 2016. Inclusion criteria were gestational age between 24-32 weeks with established iron deficiency anemia, with hemoglobin between 7-10g/dl. Target Hemoglobin was 11 g/dl. In intravenous iron sucrose group iron sucrose dose was calculated from following formula: total iron dose required (mg) = 2.4 x body weight in Kg x (target Hb – Patient’s Hb g/dl) + 500. In oral iron, group patient received ferrous-sulphate 335 mg daily BD. Hb level were reviewed at 2, 4, 6 weeks.Results: Change in Hemoglobin level from baseline significantly higher in IV iron group than oral iron group. In IV iron, group mean value of baseline Hb was 8.07±0.610 g/dl and in oral iron group was 8.48±0.741 g/dl. At the end of 6-week mean hemoglobin in IV iron sucrose was 10.66±0.743 g/dl and in oral iron group was 10.08±0.860 g/dl.Conclusions: Intravenous iron sucrose elevates more Hb than oral iron, with less adverse effects.