Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Now what... low iron?

Just as I was feeling better about preeclampsia, my doctor called me this morning and told me that my blood work came back with low iron.  My H&H (hemoglobin and hematocrit) was at 9.9 when it should be 11 or higher.  You all know me and know the first thing I did was google the possible issues with being anemic during the third trimester and good ole WebMD had this to say:
New research suggests that taking iron supplements as prescribed may play a role in reducing the risk of having a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
The researchers found that mothers of children with autism were significantly less likely to have taken iron supplements before and during pregnancy than those whose children seem to be developing normally.
The study authors also discovered that mothers 35 years of age and older who had low iron intake had a five times greater risk of having a child with autism.
ARGH!  So... even though I've been taking 95mg of iron (it's in my prenatals) on a daily basis, I still have low iron? Trying not to think about it.

Another note I'm going to add... if you're over 35, be sure to watch your iron levels so you aren't freaking out like I am, wondering how long your iron has been low and what it could possibly do to your baby.

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