Hemoglobin is considered to be the most important during the time of pregnancy
. Iron is very essential mineral for the production of hemoglobin. As the growth of baby is of great importance along with the mother, there is an extra requirement of iron. The normal requirement of iron for a woman is about 15mg but, during the pregnancy, the requirement is increased to 30-50mg especially from the 20th week.
In todays times, there is an inadequate level of iron in the body of women and due to this; there can be any type of complexity during pregnancy. Iron is considered to be one of the most important and essential for the fetus because the fetus is totally dependent on the mother for the supply of iron. This nutrient is very needed for the formation of the red blood cells.
Only the diet cannot fulfill the entire requirement of the women during pregnancy. Therefore, there arises the requirement of the iron supplements which can be useful in preventing any type of deficiency in the baby.
Iron is found in two categories namely heme and nonheme. The heme iron is obtained from the meat whereas; the nonheme iron is available from non-meat sources. Therefore, the vegetarians require being very careful in taking their diet so that they can include considerable amount of iron. It has been noticed that the heme iron is easily absorbed as compared to the nonheme iron.
Due to deficiency of iron, there are chances of getting strain on the maternal heart. The woman may also suffer from the ceaseless fatigue. The risk of illness increases and she may also suffer from swelling due to improper intake of iron.