Maternity and Nutrition Services 
                                                                                           
                                                           IRON- Are you getting enough? 
                                                                                           
              
             Everyone needs a regular intake of iron. Most of this                             Vegetables: Leafy green vegetables- especially 
             iron is used to make haemoglobin, the oxygen-                                     spinach and broccoli  
             carrying part of red blood cells. When there is too                               Others: Dried apricots, almonds, seeds eg 
             little haemoglobin, less oxygen gets into the body                                sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, tahini, Milo, Ovaltine, 
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             cells.                                                                            Cocoa 
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             Iron deficiency anaemia can cause:                                                HANDY HINTS FOR AN IRON RICH DIET 
             •     Decreased memory and concentration                                          1.  Try to include foods high in iron at each meal. 
             • Fatigue                                                                         2.  Try to consume red meat 3-4 times per week or 
             •  Adverse pregnancy outcomes for mother and                                            include large amounts of plant based foods high 
                   baby                                                                              in non-haem iron. 
             • Infant development delay (both motor and mental                                 3.  Include wholegrain and iron fortified foods e.g. 
                   function)                                                                         breakfast cereals with added iron. 
             During pregnancy your baby draws enough iron from                                 4.  Combine non-haem sources of iron with vitamin C 
             you to last through the first 5 to 6 months after birth,                                rich foods (berries, kiwi fruit, oranges, orange 
             so it’s vital that you consume more iron while                                          juice, tomatoes, capsicum, broccoli and green 
             pregnant.                                                                               leafy vegetables) to maximise absorption. 
                                                                                               5.  Some components of food and fluid can reduce 
                                                                                                     the absorption of iron. Drink tea, coffee, and milk 
             Some people need more iron than others and are                                          between your meals. 
             at risk of anaemia:                                                               6.  If taking calcium supplements, consume between 
             • Pregnant women                                                                        meals and separately from iron supplements. 
             •  Menstruating women (especially heavy loss)                                            
             •  Vegetarians and vegans                                                         TABLETS- IRON SUPPLEMENTS 
             •  People who have had gastric surgery eg banding                                 Sometime it is difficult to get all the iron you need 
             • People with Inflammatory bowel disease eg                                       from food and you may need to take an iron 
                 coeliac disease                                                               supplement. Not all iron tablets contain enough iron 
             •  Athletes (elite level)                                                         to treat low iron levels. Iron tablets with the right 
                                                                                               amount of iron include Ferrogradumet, Ferrograd-C, 
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                                                                                               Ferro-f-tabs, Fetol and FGF.   
             SOURCES OF IRON                                                                    
             Food provides iron in two forms: haem and non-                                    Iron tablets are better absorbed if taken on an empty 
             haem. Haem iron is present in animal meat and is                                  stomach (1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal) if 
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             absorbed 4-5 times more easily than non-haem iron.                                possible with juice or water.   Remember to keep 
             The redder the meat, the higher the iron content.                                 tablets out of reach of children.  
                                                                                               Side effects of taking iron tablets can include nausea, 
             Non-haem iron is present in plant foods. The                                      upset stomach, constipation or diarrhoea. It is normal 
             absorption of non-haem rich foods is three times                                                                                                       4
             greater when taken with haem iron foods.                                          for iron tablets to make your stool/faeces turn black.    
             Sources of Haem-rich Iron                                                         If your iron level does not improve and significant 
                                                                                               anaemia is present, intravenous (IV) iron through a 
             •     Lamb, beef, veal, liver, kidney, pork                                       drip may be needed. Your doctor or midwife will talk 
             •     Chicken, eggs and fish such as salmon                                       to you about this.  
                                                                                                
             Sources of Non-Haem Iron (plant based)                                            References.  
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             Legumes: lima beans, kidney beans, lentils,                                         NSW Health Having a baby booklet. www.health.nsw.gov.au    
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             chickpeas, baked beans, tofu                                                        Gastroenterologist Society of Australia (GESOA). Iron deficiency 
                                                                                               clinical update, Digestive Health Foundation, 2008.   
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             Cereals and Bread: Iron- fortified breakfast cereals                               Food Safety during Pregnancy. NSW Food Authority, 2010 
             and wholegrain bread                                                              4 Government of South Australia. Boosting your blood with iron. 
                                                                                               BloodSafe. www.health.sa.gov.au/bloodsafe  
              
              
             January 2011                                                                                 Authored by: CMC Antenatal Services and Nutrition Dept 
                                                                                                                                                    Cat No. CC09282  
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