Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40034615›Full record

ReviewCureus2025

Comparing the Treatment Outcomes of Oral and Injectable Iron Therapies for Anemia in Pregnancy: A Meta-Analysis.

Junaid Qayyum, Syeda Quratulain Farhan, Qurat Ul Ain Qureshi, Ayesha Ghazal Jamali, Arooj Fatima, Bushra Imtiaz, Noor M Alharbi, Fnu Partab, Fnu Shweta, Varsha Kumar

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. KDIGO 2026 Clinical Practice Guideline for Anemia in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD): a commentary from the European Renal Best Practice (ERBP).Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation : official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association - European Renal Association · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
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.

Junaid QayyumDepartment of Medicine, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham, GBR.
Syeda Quratulain FarhanDepartment of Stroke Medicine, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, Coventry, GBR.
Qurat Ul Ain QureshiDepartment of Gynecology, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, PAK.
Ayesha Ghazal JamaliDepartment of Medicine and Surgery, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, PAK.
Arooj FatimaDepartment of Health, Type-D Hospital, Khanpur, PAK.
Bushra ImtiazDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qasmi Eye and Gynae Hospital, Bhimber, PAK.
Noor M AlharbiCollege of Medicine, University of Ha'il, Ha'il, SAU.
Fnu PartabDepartment of Internal Medicine, Chandka Medical College, Larkana, PAK.
Fnu ShwetaDepartment of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA.
Varsha KumarDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hamza Medicare Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan, PAK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) during pregnancy is a global public health concern, associated with significant maternal and neonatal complications. Intravenous (IV) iron therapy has emerged as a potential alternative to oral iron for rapid correction of anemia, but its impact on clinical outcomes remains unclear. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of IV iron compared to oral iron in improving maternal and neonatal outcomes during pregnancy. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted using major databases. A total of 15 studies, involving 4,215 pregnant women, met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analyses were performed to assess maternal and neonatal complications, adverse events, and hemoglobin (Hb) improvement. The findings demonstrated that IV iron therapy significantly improved Hb levels more rapidly than oral iron, with a mean rise of 2.05 g/dL for IV iron compared to 1.65 g/dL for oral iron. Women receiving IV iron experienced 21% fewer maternal complications, although the difference was not statistically significant for individual complications. Neonatal outcomes, including birth weight, cord Hb levels, and preterm births, showed no significant differences between the two groups. Adverse events were significantly less frequent in the IV group (OR 0.38; 95% CI: 0.24-0.58; p < 0.01), indicating a better safety profile. This study highlights the superior efficacy of IV iron for rapid anemia correction and reduced adverse events in pregnant women. However, no significant advantage was observed for neonatal outcomes or individual maternal complications. The evidence quality for Hb improvement was high, while that for maternal and neonatal clinical outcomes varied from moderate to low. Further research is needed to explore the impact of IV iron on critical clinical outcomes and to determine the most cost-effective regimens for anemia management during pregnancy.

Indexed as

hemoglobin improvementintravenous iron therapyiron deficiency anemiamaternal complicationspregnancy outcomes

Identifiers

PMID40034615
PMCPMC11874882

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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.