300 appointments successfully completed in trial to determine optimal iron treatments for pregnant women.
Final patient in the trial, pictured with study coordinator Dr Natalie Aboustate.
Researchers at the Lyell McEwin Hospital who are looking at optimal iron treatments for pregnant women have reached a significant milestone in their trial with all 300 patients finishing their appointments.
Iron deficiency is a very common condition amongst pregnant women and can be associated with many risks and potential complications if left untreated.
This study, which began in 2015 and saw biomarkers collected from the 300 participants at four stages of their pregnancy (including delivery), aims to make recommendations around future iron treatments in pregnant women and ensure the safety and long-term outcome of both mum and baby.
“Iron deficiency during pregnancy is critical to diagnose and treat because it can lead to poor outcomes for the mother and can also be detrimental to her child’s development,” said study coordinator Dr Natalie Aboustate.
“Intravenous (IV) iron is an effective treatment option for iron deficiency and we are seeking to determine the dose of IV iron necessary to sustain optimal ferritin levels (the amount of iron in the blood) during the short to long-term perinatal period.”
“Our ultimate aim is to optimise future iron treatments in pregnant women and ensure maternal and foetal safety and long-term outcomes.”
The Hospital Research Foundation is proud to be supporting the next stage of the study, which will include biological analysis of all the biomarkers collected from the patients.
“This analysis is incredibly important because it will allow us to characterise various aspects of iron metabolism during and after pregnancy, much of which is currently unknown.
“All of this research is aimed at improving health and pregnancy outcomes for mothers and their children.”
We look forward to keeping you updated on this exciting research!
