Anemia of pregnancy: evaluation of the effectiveness of routine dietary supplementation program in an Israeli community.

Of 514 Israeli women 4-5 months pregnant, 200 who were non-anemic (Hb 11 gm/100 ml or higher) took a daily supplement of ferrous sulfate (100 mg elemental iron). The 160 who remained on this regimen showed, as a group significantly less reduction in hemoglobin levels than 180 non-anemic women who did not wish to take the supplement. Forty of the 200 women either dropped out or were shifted to other treatment regimens because they developed anemia after the fifth month.