Relationship between Maternal Meat Consumption during Pregnancy and Umbilical Cord Ferritin Concentration

Abstract Background Nutrition during pregnancy impacts the health of the fetus and the newborn, with effects at the epigenetic level determining long-term neurological consequences. Iron requirements in pregnancy are estimated at 27 mg/day. The best absorbed heme iron is found in meat: beef, pork, poultry, and fish. The determination of ferritin in umbilical cord blood can be used to assess iron deposits reached during the fetal stage. Ferritin levels were associated with long-term effects on child development. Methods A descriptive, observational study with prospectively collected data was carried out during one-year period at the Department of Neonatology of the Pereira Rossell Hospital Center (CHPR) in Montevideo, Uruguay. A total of 188 patients met the inclusion criteria. Umbilical cord blood was drawn following a strict cord clamping after one minute of life. Ferritin was measured using the chemoimmunofluorescence method. A maternal nutritional survey was applied, using a qualitative-quantitative form measuring the frequency of consumption of iron source foods and approximated quantities consumed during the last trimester of pregnancy. This survey was focused on maternal consumption of beef as the major heminic iron source in Uruguay. The relationship between these variables was analysed. Results Latent iron deficiency (ferritin in the umbilical cord <100 ng / ml) was associated with less consumption of beef during pregnancy. Fisher p-value: 0.0133, OR: 3.71, 95% CI [1.25 - 11.05]. Conclusions This study considers adequate evidence that low levels of total iron and meat consumption during pregnancy will determine an increased risk of latent iron deficiency and lower levels of ferritin in newborns, and therefore, greater risk of long-term adverse effects on myelination and neurocognitive development.