Study of Iron Absorption and Needs in Pregnant and Breastfeeding Kenyan Women Tracking Iron Levels from Early Pregnancy to 6 Months After Birth

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to understand iron needs and absorption during pregnancy and lactation in women living in Kenya, where anemia and infections are common. It focuses on pregnant and lactating women, using stable iron isotopes to measure iron absorption, losses, and gains throughout pregnancy and into early infancy. The study enrolls women in their first trimester who previously participated in an iron absorption study. Participants will be followed through pregnancy and the first six months after birth. All women receive standard prenatal care including daily iron and folate supplements as per Kenyan guidelines. A subgroup of women will receive oral and intravenous stable iron isotope tracers in the second and third trimesters to directly assess iron absorption and incorporation into red blood cells. Throughout the study, researchers will collect blood samples from mothers each trimester and at delivery, as well as from infants during the first six months of life. Iron isotope levels, hemoglobin, and other blood markers will be measured to assess iron status and absorption. The study monitors changes in iron isotope abundance at multiple time points during pregnancy and lactation to understand iron requirements and losses in mothers and infants.

Iron Absorption and Requirements in Pregnancy and Lactation