The ACOG states that, “Iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk of low birth weight, preterm delivery, and perinatal mortality and should be treated with iron supplementation in addition to prenatal vitamins. In addition, there may be an association between maternal iron deficiency anemia and postpartum depression, with poor results in mental and psychomotor performance testing in offspring”. Screening for anemia is included in most prenatal lab sets. However, up to 42% of women who enter prenatal care are iron deficient BEFORE anemia is detected. Iron deficiency itself, even without anemia, has also been linked to pregnancy morbidity. The ACOG currently does not have a statement endorsing universal ferritin screening in pregnancy outside of established anemia, but new data is challenging this (Jan 2026, Lancet). Listen in for details.

1. ACOG PB 233

2. Wasim T, Bushra N, Nasrin T, Humayun S, Tajammul A, Khawaja KI, Irshad S, Fatima S, Yasin A, Zamora J, Cano-Ibáñez N, Fernandez-Felix BM, Khan KS; Ferritin screening and iron treatment for maternal anaemia and fetal growth restriction prevention (FAIR) Study Group. Intravenous iron for non-anaemic iron deficiency in pregnancy: a multicentre, two-arm, randomised controlled trial. Lancet Haematol. 2026 Jan;13(1):e22-e29. doi: 10.1016/S2352-3026(25)00315-1. PMID: 41482443.

3. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/10.1001/jama.2024.15196