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

Background: The most prevalent nutritional disorder during pregnancy is iron-deficiency anemia (IDA). Management of anemia can be done by either oral, parenteral, or blood transfusion, depending on the severity. Oral iron (OI) replacements can be taken as they are safe, effective, and lower cost. However, one disadvantage is poor tolerability, as they cause gastrointestinal complications. Iron sucrose complex is a relatively new drug used intravenously (IV) for the correction of IDA. Aims and Objectives: This research compared the safety and effectiveness of OI versus iron sucrose in the treatment of IDA during pregnancy. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was performed involving 60 patients who attended the antenatal clinic from June 2019 to November 2019 at Bidar Institute of Medical Science between 24 and 36 weeks of gestation and hemoglobin levels between 7 and 10 g/dL. In the IV group, 200 mg of iron sucrose was administered in 100 mL of 0.9% normal saline over 15–20 min on alternate days. In the oral group, 200 mg of ferrous ascorbate per day for 4 weeks was prescribed. All patients were monitored for laboratory responses and adverse effects. An unpaired “t” test was used for statistical analysis. P < 0.05 was considered significance. Results: There was an increase in hemoglobin in both groups, but there was a significant increase in hemoglobin in the IV group. The other laboratory parameters also showed a significant increase in the IV group than in the oral group. The IV group had no major side effects. Conclusion: The IV iron sucrose formulation was more effective than the oral formulation for anemia correction in pregnancy.