Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31152673›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of nutrition2019

Iron Consumption Is Not Consistently Associated with Fecundability among North American and Danish Pregnancy Planners.

Kristen A Hahn, Amelia K Wesselink, Lauren A Wise, Ellen M Mikkelsen, Heidi T Cueto, Katherine L Tucker, Marco Vinceti, Kenneth J Rothman, Henrik Toft Sorensen, Elizabeth E Hatch

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of nutrition, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
2.9field-weighted citation impact, top 10% 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

9 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Association between iron deficiency and fertility.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2025
    Observational
  3. Observational
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Can Nutrition Help in the Treatment of Infertility?Preventive nutrition and food science · 2021
    Review
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

10 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Kristen A HahnDepartment of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
Amelia K WesselinkDepartment of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
Lauren A WiseDepartment of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
Ellen M MikkelsenDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.
Heidi T CuetoDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.
Katherine L TuckerDepartment of Clinical Laboratory and Nutritional Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, MA.
Marco VincetiDepartment of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
Kenneth J RothmanDepartment of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
Henrik Toft SorensenDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.
Elizabeth E HatchDepartment of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
Aarhus University Hospital · DKRTI Health Solutions · USUniversity of Massachusetts Lowell · USUniversity of Modena and Reggio Emilia · IT

Funding

An internet-based preconception cohort study in North America and DenmarkR01HD086742 · NICHD · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · PI LAUREN A WISE · 2016 to 2026
$6.7M
An internet based prospective study of time to pregnancyR01HD060680 · NICHD · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · PI HATCH, ELIZABETH E · 2010 to 2014
$2.6M
BURPPE:BU Reproductive, Perinatal, and Pediatric Epidemiology Training ProgramT32HD052458 · NICHD · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · PI WERLER, MARTHA M. · 2007 to 2016
$2.0M
A Pilot Study Of Internet Recruitment and follow-up among Reproductive Age WomenR21HD050264 · NICHD · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · PI HATCH, ELIZABETH E · 2006 to 2007
$399k
Feasibility of an internet-based study of time-to-pregnancy in the United StatesR21HD072326 · NICHD · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · PI WISE, LAUREN A · 2013 to 2014
$337k
NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD060680NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD086742NICHD NIH HHS R21 HD050264NICHD NIH HHS R21 HD072326NICHD NIH HHS T32 HD052458
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInfertility is an important public health problem with few known modifiable risk factors. Dietary factors including folic acid have been associated with improved fertility, but the association between iron and fertility is understudied. One study among US nurses found a 40% lower risk of ovulatory infertility with higher intake of nonheme iron and iron supplements.

objectivesThe aim of this study was to determine the extent to which iron intake from diet and supplements reported on structured questionnaires is associated with fecundability.

methodsWe conducted parallel analyses that used data from 2 prospective cohort studies of pregnancy planners from Denmark (Snart Foraeldre; n = 1693) and North America (PRESTO; n = 2969) during 2013-2018. Follow-up comprised menstrual cycles at risk until pregnancy or censoring for fertility treatment, stopped trying to conceive, withdrawal, loss to follow-up, or 12 cycles of attempt. We used proportional probabilities regression models to estimate fecundability ratios (FRs) and 95% CIs, adjusting for confounders.

resultsWe found little association between dietary heme iron intake and fecundability in either cohort. The FR for nonheme iron intake (≥11 mg/d compared with <9 mg/day) was 1.11 for Snart Foraeldre participants (95% CI: 0.92, 1.34) and 1.01 for PRESTO participants (95% CI: 0.89, 1.14). The FR for iron-containing supplements was 1.01 in Snart Foraeldre (95% CI: 0.90, 1.13) and 1.19 in PRESTO (95% CI: 1.03, 1.38). In PRESTO, but not Snart Foraeldre, stronger positive associations were found for nonheme iron intake and iron supplement use among women with heavy menses or short menstrual cycles.

conclusionsOverall, dietary intake of iron was not consistently associated with fecundability, although there was some evidence for a positive association among women with risk factors for iron deficiency. We also found a small positive association between supplemental iron intake and fecundability among North American, but not Danish, pregnancy planners.

Indexed as

FertilityAdultDietary SupplementsFemaleHumansIronPregnancyProspective StudiesIroncohort studydietary ironepidemiologyfecundabilityfertilityiron supplementspreconception

Identifiers

PMID31152673
PMCPMC6735943
OpenAlexW2947980456

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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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.