As refer to World Health Organization (WHO), anaemia affects 1.62 billion people worldwide, which corresponds to 24.8% of the population. The highest prevalence is in women (including pregrant and non-pregrant women) with about 524 million affected by anemia. The most common cause of anemia is iron deficiency. Even in developed countries or regions, an averages of about 20% of non-pregnant women and about 25% pregnant women suffer from iron deficiency problem.
 
Besides, iron is a crucial mineral needed during pregnancy. The daily iron requirement is estimately increased 10 fold from second to third trimester of pregnancy (starting from 4 months of pregnancy). Intaking enough iron per day is important to maintain a normal growth and brain development of fetus, also good for pregnant women in the preventions of iron deficiency anemia and post-partum anemia.
 
WHO recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 60mg iron for pregnant women. However, an average of 15mg iron is normally absorbed from diet, that is far below the RDA of 60mg. Therefore, iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women is prevalent, and it is estimated approximately 50% of women do not have adequate iron storage for pregnancy!
 
Consequences of Iron Deficiency for adults, especially for pregnant women:
Fatigue
Decline of immune system
Anemia
Pallor
Loss of appetite
Postpartum depression