🔬 Anemia & Folate: Key Insights
🩸 Anemia is primarily caused by iron deficiency in the U.S., especially in pregnancy (30% prevalence).
📊 NHANES data shows high iron deficiency in young females (up to 77.5% at ferritin <50 μg/L).
⚠️ Causes include heavy menstrual loss, increased pregnancy needs, and low dietary heme iron.
💊 Iron supplements (18 mg/day) help, but >45 mg/day may cause nausea & constipation.
👶 Maternal iron status affects infant birth weight, and delayed cord clamping improves newborn iron stores.
🌍 In low-income countries, anemia is also linked to malaria, parasites, and hemoglobinopathies.
🍞 Folic acid fortification since 1998 has reduced neural-tube defects, making folate deficiency rare in the U.S.
