CORD SERUM FERRITIN AS BIOCHEMICAL MARKER IN IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR:
Dr. Sherin Stephen,
Professor and HOD,
Department of Biochemistry,
Academy of Medical Sciences,
Pariyaram, Kannur-670503, Kerala.
Email: sherin.stephen@rediffmail.com

ABSTRACT: Iron deficiency anemia is by far the most frequent type of anemia seen in pregnancy, accounting for 90% or more of all cases. Iron deficiency anemia has adverse consequences on infant development. Therefore maternal anemia should be prevented and treated. Serum ferritin is the single best non-invasive test and is a very useful and reliable index of iron stores especially during pregnancy, with low levels indicating iron deficiency^. While infants born to anemic mother are themselves not anemic, they do not suffer from low iron stores. The main aim of the study is to establish cord serum ferritin as a biochemical marker in iron deficiency anemia. The specific objectives of this study is to estimate cord and maternal serum ferritin in the last trimester of pregnancy and to correlate it with hematological parameters. Cord serum ferritin levels were normal in the patients under study, even when the maternal serum ferritin levels were decreased. The mean level of cord serum ferritin was 134.06ng/ml and maternal serum ferritin was 41.65ng/ml and was statistically significant. The hematological parameters like hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV and MCHC were also decreased in the patients with low serum ferritin and were found to be statistically significant. Hence estimation of cord serum ferritin can be used as a biochemical marker to assess iron deficiency in the early stages itself and thereby neurodevelopmental complications in children can be prevented.

KEYWORDS: Ferritin, Hemoglobin, PCV, MCV, MCHC.