A new study suggests that children may be at a higher risk of heart disease if their mothers experience anemia during pregnancy.
Researchers from the University of Oxford examined data from 16,500 mothers as part of a study funded by the British Heart Foundation. They found that nearly 25% of pregnant women in the UK and over a third worldwide are affected by anemia, which is often due to iron deficiency.
Anemia is a prevalent condition characterized by a lower-than-normal count of red blood cells or insufficient hemoglobin in those cells, as defined by the NHS. The study revealed that severe anemia in the later stages of pregnancy can result in complications such as low birth weight and premature birth. However, the impact of anemia during the early stages of pregnancy had previously been less understood.
Professor Duncan Sparrow, the study's lead, noted, "While we know various factors can increase the risk of congenital heart disease, these findings enhance our understanding of anemia specifically, moving insights from laboratory studies into clinical relevance." He emphasized that since iron deficiency is a leading cause of many anemia cases, broadening iron supplementation for women—both when trying to conceive and during pregnancy—could potentially help prevent congenital heart disease in newborns before it manifests.
Earlier research established a connection between iron deficiency-induced anemia during pregnancy and congenital heart disease in mice, and the current study aims to verify this association in humans. Researchers hope that confirming this link could pave the way for clinical trials of iron supplements as a strategy to reduce the incidence of congenital heart disease in the future.