Five Fast Facts about Iron Deficiency

June 1, 2015August 19, 2016Leave a comment

Here are five fast facts about iron deficiency that you may not have known:

Approximately 5% of Canadian children aged 1 to 5 suffer from iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia. Is your child at risk?
Hemoglobin levels of 12 – 17 g/dl for females and 13 – 18 g/dl for males is considered normal. Check out what tests you can expect when screening for iron deficiency
It is estimated that 20% of women of childbearing age are iron deficient and 50% of pregnant women develop iron deficiency. Find out why women need iron throughout their entire lifetime
The World Health Organization (WHO) says that 2 billion people are anemic, many due to iron deficiency. That’s more than 30% of the world’s population! Did you know that iron deficiency is preventable? Find out what you can do
According to a paper published in the Cardiology Journal Heart, iron deficiency is present in 30 – 50% of patients with heart failure and has been associated with poorer medical outcomes including a higher risk of death. Find out more about the connection between iron deficiency and your heart

Content and advice provided on The Iron Maiden is for information purposes only and should not serve as a substitute for a licensed health care provider, who is knowledgeable about an individual’s unique health care needs

Iron & Pregnancy Series with Dr. McLeod: Post-Partum

May 25, 2015February 24, 2017Leave a comment

It’s perfectly normal for a new mother to be tired as she adjusts to life with a new baby, but if she is suffering from iron deficiency, then the fatigue and other symptoms can make it especially difficult and may even lead to long-term consequences for her and her baby.

Iron deficiency in pregnancy is common, as I noted in Part 2 of this series. The risk increases near the end of the pregnancy when the baby stores iron that it takes from the mother. And, the risk of anemia increases even further if she loses and excess amount of blood during child birth, as approximately 5% of women do.

Continue reading →

Iron & Pregnancy Series with Dr. McLeod: During Pregnancy

May 18, 2015July 22, 2015Leave a comment

It’s no surprise that a woman’s body will undergo changes during pregnancy to accommodate the baby as it grows. One of the biggest changes is that of her blood. While this might not be an obvious change (like that of a growing belly), it’s a very important change that requires some effort on the mother’s part to avoid putting herself and her baby in harm’s way.

Iron deficiency in pregnancy is not only dangerous, but also far too common. In Canada, an estimated 50% of pregnant women are iron deficient. Women of childbearing age are already at a higher risk of developing iron deficiency due to regular blood loss and subsequent iron loss (from menstruation), but the risk increases significantly once pregnant.

Continue reading →

Iron Articles Just for Mom

May 15, 2015January 27, 2016Leave a comment

Throughout the month of May we are honouring women – mothers in particular. Moms do A LOT for their families, and it’s important that they take time for themselves once in a while and ensure that their health is in check too! Iron deficiency can affect one’s entire family, but women and children are among the highest groups at-risk for developing this preventable condition.

So, I wanted to pull together handpicked articles for mom around iron deficiency and iron needs as well as some tips and information around iron and her children. Let’s get to it!

Continue reading →

Iron & Pregnancy Series with Dr. McLeod: Pre-Pregnancy

May 11, 2015July 22, 2015Leave a comment

All kinds of preparation and planning goes into having a baby, yet want-to-be moms often don’t consider one of the most important things to plan for, which is her health before she even gets pregnant and in particular the role that iron plays pre-pregnancy. This is the first article in my 3-part series, Iron & Pregnancy. Let’s get started!

Continue reading →

The Calcium Controversy: Does it Inhibit Iron Absorption or Not?

April 27, 2015January 27, 20169 Comments

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while then chances are that you’ve seen a mention or two about iron absorption inhibitors, including calcium. This is a bit of a controversial topic since some say that calcium greatly impacts iron absorption and others say it doesn’t. It can get a little confusing when you’re getting conflicting information, so I thought it would be worth discussing further.

There is some evidence to support the impact of calcium on iron absorption, albeit from short-term studies focused on this interaction with single meals. On the other hand, long-term studies have found that calcium and milk products don’t have any adverse effect on iron absorption.

Continue reading →

Is Your Family At Risk?

April 6, 2015January 27, 2016Leave a comment

World Health Day is tomorrow (April 7^th) making this the perfect time to talk about iron deficiency, which happens to be the world’s most common nutrient deficiency and one that affects people of all ages. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that 2 billion people are anemic, many due to iron deficiency. That’s more than 30% of the world’s population!

Continue reading →

Kelly: From the Challenges of Iron Deficiency to an IronMan Challenger

March 27, 2015January 27, 2016Leave a comment

My name is Kelly and I am iron deficient. My iron levels were never great after the birth of my first child. The blood loss was massive, the doctors pondered my need for a blood transfusion and prescribed me ferrous sulfate to help out. It brought my levels up enough, but I had low iron levels from then on; never low enough to cause alarm, but enough (I would think) to play havoc with my energy levels.

Continue reading →

A Woman’s Need for Iron Throughout Her Life

Iron Deficiency During Pregnancy

November 3, 2014January 27, 20161 Comment

Pregnant women have a significantly increased risk of iron deficiency and related anemia – as many as 50% of all pregnant women develop iron deficiency anemia as noted by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute – and if left untreated, it can prove dangerous for both mom and baby.

Continue reading →

Signs & Symptoms of Iron Deficiency

7 Comments

Many of the symptoms related to iron deficiency can be attributed to other causes in today’s often busy lifestyle. However, when there is a collection of specific symptoms, it would be in your best interest to check with your physician and exclude iron deficiency as a cause.

Continue reading →

Are YOU At Risk?

September 22, 2014January 27, 20162 Comments

While anyone can experience iron-deficiency, some have a higher risk than others for developing iron deficiency and anemia. Let’s take a look at the adult at-risk groups. Continue reading →

Types of Iron Deficiency

September 22, 2014January 27, 201611 Comments

Did you know there are different types of Iron Deficiency? A person can become iron deficient or anemic for different reasons and this isn’t limited to adults, but can actually happen to people of all ages, with some types of anemia being more common than others. Let’s look at some of the types of anemia for a better understanding of who is at risk and why.

Continue reading →