R Colin Carter, Michael K Georgieff, Kathleen M Ennis, Neil C Dodge, Helen Wainwright, Ernesta M Meintjes, Christopher P Duggan, Christopher D Molteno, Joseph L Jacobson, Sandra W Jacobson
BACKGROUND: Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with postnatal iron deficiency (ID), which has been shown to exacerbate deficits in growth, cognition, and behavior seen in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. However, the mechanisms underlying PAE-related ID remain unknown. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to examine biochemical measures of iron homeostasis in the mother, placenta, neonate, and 6.5-month-old infant. METHODS: In a prenatally recruited, prospective longitudinal birth cohort in South Africa, 206 gravidas (126 heavy drinkers and 80 controls) were interviewed regarding alcohol, cigarette, and drug use and diet at 3 prenatal visits...
September 1, 2021: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition