During pregnancy, several tests are performed by women to make sure everything is going well during pregnancy and that both she and her baby are healthy. The ferritin test in pregnancy is one of them and is extremely important.

But before talking about ferritin in pregnancy, let’s understand a little more about this protein and what causes its levels to rise or fall.

What is Ferritin?

Ferritin1 is an intracellular protein whose main function is the storage of iron, especially in the liver, as well as its subsequent release in a controlled manner.

In other words, ferritin is a kind of regulator that helps us control very high or very low levels of iron in the body. Just for reference, a single molecule of ferritin contains about 4,500 iron atoms.

The rest of this mineral in the blood is present in hemoglobin, the main protein in erythrocytes or red blood cells.

What is the Importance of Ferritin in Pregnancy?

Ferritin in pregnancy is responsible for storing the iron that the pregnant woman has in her body, which must supply both her own body and her baby’s.

Iron will be passed to the baby through the placenta, so it is important that the future mother does not have a deficiency of this mineral, because she risks developing anemia.

Anemia2 is something that should be avoided as soon as a woman’s body transforms for the “construction” of another whole organism during the months of pregnancy.

Blood tests for a healthy woman of childbearing age show an average of 40 mg of iron per kg of body weight. Ferritin values in non-pregnant women range between 4 to 161 nanograms per ml, whereas average ferritin levels in pregnancy vary greatly, ranging from 10 to 85 nanograms per ml, and, of course, values below this are certainly concerning.

Low Ferritin in Pregnancy – Anemia

Ferritin in pregnancy rarely increases, due to physiological reasons. In cases of deficiency, the future mother may be given a supplement, in addition to changing her diet to include more bioavailable iron-containing foods, such as meat, eggs, and fish.

In the last weeks of pregnancy, ferritin levels can collapse, as the baby uses almost all of the mother’s reserves to complete its intrauterine development, but this is not a phenomenon that should cause concern.

Symptoms of Low Ferritin

The symptoms include:

  • Weakness;
  • Headache;
  • Irritability;
  • Fatigue;
  • Tiredness;
  • Difficulty exercising;
  • Pica (craving to eat earth, for example);
  • Restless legs syndrome

High Ferritin in Pregnancy – Excess Iron in the Blood

High ferritin is a value that usually does not occur frequently during pregnancy, but it can still be observed in certain situations. Elevated ferritin levels in pregnancy may be linked to inflammatory conditions.

They can also occur due to chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, hemochromatosis, thalassemia, megaloblastic anemia, as well as certain types of tumors.

In any case, this condition is concerning, especially in the third trimester, as high ferritin concentrations in pregnancy can cause problems for the baby.

This claim is supported by an observational study published by the Oxford Journal. The research involved 514 non-anemic pregnant women between 28 and 30 weeks of gestation who had their ferritin levels measured during pregnancy in order to find pathological risks for both mother and fetus.

The study did not show complications for the mother, but did show a greater risk of adverse events for the baby. These results varied between women in their first pregnancy and women who already had children.

With higher prevalence in the second group, hyperferritinemia was associated with mild and severe risks. Among the former, there was an increased risk of preterm birth; among the severe risks, neonatal asphyxia was noted.

The concentration of ferritin in pregnancy also showed an inverse relationship to the weight of the newborn, that is, hyperferritinemia would cause the birth of low birth weight babies3.

These results, while requiring further analysis, suggest that current views on iron supplementation in non-anemic pregnant women should be reconsidered.

Causes of High Ferritin in Pregnancy

There are many different causes that can lead to this type of problem, so it is very important for us to know these values so we can act at the right moment if necessary.

What is Normal in Pregnancy

Generally, pregnancy is accompanied by the opposite problem, that is, a reduction, sometimes very drastic, of ferritin levels.

This is due to the fact that, throughout pregnancy, ferritin is consumed at much higher rates and, despite our body trying to make up for this with diet, it still cannot find enough to keep levels stable.

This is a common condition, but some women may end up experiencing ferritin levels during pregnancy that are excessively high.

Symptoms of High Ferritin

Ferritin in pregnancy, even when above storage levels, often does not show symptoms. To detect its presence, certain blood tests need to be analyzed:

  • Serum iron;
  • Transferrin saturation;
  • Complete blood count;
  • Reticulocytes;
  • Transaminases;
  • Cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, uric acid.

In other people, it may cause:

  • Tiredness;
  • Weakness;
  • Impotence;
  • Weight loss;
  • Joint pain;
  • Hair loss;
  • Changes in menstrual cycles;
  • Arrhythmias;
  • Swelling;
  • Testicular atrophy.

What Are the Ferritin Storage Levels?

The levels we can consider as ideal for a ferritin test are 70 to 200 ng/ml. These are values considered quite stable, even during pregnancy.

Are There Suitable Treatments for High Ferritin?

If there are very high levels of ferritin in pregnancy, it is absolutely necessary to discuss this with your gynecologist and hematologist, who will probably request further testing.

In the vast majority of cases, treatment involves:

  • Periodic blood draws, which force the body to use more ferritin in order to balance iron levels;
  • A diet that includes chelating substances, such as those found in legumes and whole grains, which contain much lower amounts of iron.

In any case, medications or pharmacological therapies are not usually recommended.

See Also: Why Do We Have Dizziness During Pregnancy?
Photos: pxhere