Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25946517›Full record

ArticleThe British journal of nutrition2015

Maternal iron status in early pregnancy and birth outcomes: insights from the Baby's Vascular health and Iron in Pregnancy study.

Nisreen A Alwan, Janet E Cade, Harry J McArdle, Darren C Greenwood, Helen E Hayes, Nigel A B Simpson

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In one paragraph

Article in The British journal of nutrition, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 51 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
51citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
7.0field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

51 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 107 citations in OpenAlex.

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  8. Iron deficiency with and without anemia in pregnancy: A scoping review of prevalence and perinatal impact.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Nisreen A AlwanAcademic Unit of Primary Care and Population Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton,Southampton General Hospital,Southampton SO16 6YD,UK.
Janet E CadeNutritional Epidemiology Group, School of Food Science and Nutrition,University of Leeds,Leeds LS2 9JT,UK.
Harry J McArdleRowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Aberdeen,Aberdeen,UK.
Darren C GreenwoodDivision of Biostatistics, University of Leeds,Leeds,UK.
Helen E HayesRowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Aberdeen,Aberdeen,UK.
Nigel A B SimpsonDivision of Women's and Children's Health,University of Leeds,Leeds,UK.
University of Leeds · GBUniversity of Aberdeen · GBSouthampton General Hospital · GB

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/L01629X/1Wellcome Trust 087789Wellcome Trust WT87789
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Fe deficiency anaemia during early pregnancy has been linked with low birth weight and preterm birth. However, this evidence comes mostly from studies measuring Hb levels rather than specific measures of Fe deficiency. The present study aimed to examine the association between maternal Fe status during the first trimester of pregnancy, as assessed by serum ferritin, transferrin receptor and their ratio, with size at birth and preterm birth. In the Baby VIP (Baby's Vascular health and Iron in Pregnancy) study, we recruited 362 infants and their mothers after delivery in Leeds, UK. Biomarkers were measured in maternal serum samples previously obtained in the first trimester of pregnancy. The cohort included sixty-four (18 %) small for gestational age (SGA) babies. Thirty-three babies were born preterm (9 %; between 34 and 37 weeks). First trimester maternal Fe depletion was associated with a higher risk of SGA (adjusted OR 2·2, 95 % CI 1·1, 4·1). This relationship was attenuated when including early pregnancy Hb in the model, suggesting it as a mediator (adjusted OR 1·6, 95 % CI 0·8, 3·2). For every 10 g/l increase in maternal Hb level in the first half of pregnancy the risk of SGA was reduced by 30 % (adjusted 95 % CI 0, 40 %); levels below 110 g/l were associated with a 3-fold increase in the risk of SGA (95 % CI 1·0, 9·0). There was no evidence of association between maternal Fe depletion and preterm birth (adjusted OR 1·5, 95 % 0·6, 3·8). The present study shows that depleted Fe stores in early pregnancy are associated with higher risk of SGA.

Indexed as

Iron DeficienciesMaternal WelfarePregnancy OutcomeAdultAnemia, Iron-DeficiencyBiomarkersBirth WeightBlood VesselsCohort StudiesFemaleFerritinsGestational AgeHemoglobinsHumansInfant, NewbornInfant, Small for Gestational AgeBiomarkersFerritinsHemoglobinsReceptors, TransferrinBirth weightIronPregnancyPreterm birth

Identifiers

PMID25946517
PMCPMC4498461
OpenAlexW2164385399

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.