Inter-relationships of storage iron in the mother, the placenta and the newborn.

The influence of maternal storage iron and placental iron levels on the storage iron and serum transferrin levels in newborns, placental non-haem iron, serum ferritin and transferrin concentrations was studied in 72 mothers and their singleton healthy newborns following uncomplicated pregnancies. Serum ferritin and transferrin concentrations were measured using ELIZA and immunoelectrophoretic methods, respectively. Placental non-haem iron was measured chemically. Cord serum ferritin (142 +/- 68.6 micrograms/l) and transferrin (1.66 +/- 0.56 g/l) levels and placental non-haem iron concentrations (41.1 +/- 20.2 micrograms/g) were not correlated with the maternal serum ferritin levels (17.4 +/- 12.5 micrograms/l). No significant difference was observed in these parameters in the newborns of mothers with low (less than 10 micrograms/l) and high (greater than 20 micrograms/l) levels of serum ferritin. Thus mothers with a reduced store of iron at term can still manage to provide sufficient iron for the fetus.