TABLE 1.
Characteristics of study participants of the two groups at baseline
| 500 mg (n = 152) | 1000 mg (n = 126) | |
|---|---|---|
| Age, median (IQR) | 27 (23–31) | 27 (22–30) |
| Body mass index, median (IQR) | 26 (22–32) | 27 (23–33) |
| Pregnant with twins | 2 (1%) | 1 (1%) |
| Anaemia, n (%) | 70 (46%) | 66 (52%) |
| Education, years, median (IQR) (n) | 13 (12–15) (n = 143) | 13 (12–15) (n = 117) |
| Income, n (%) a | ||
| <AUD $40,00 | 39 (26%) | 33 (26%) |
| AUD $40,000–60,000 | 37 (24%) | 31 (25%) |
| AUD $60,000–80,000 | 18 (12%) | 25 (20%) |
| AUD $80,000–120,000 | 32 (21%) | 20 (16%) |
| >AUD $120,000 | 13 (9%) | 5 (4%) |
| Unknown | 13 (9%) | 12 (10%) |
| Gestational age at screening, median (IQR) | ||
| Days | 231 (210–246) | 227 (210–244) |
| Weeks | 32.9 (30.0–35.1) | 32.4 (30.0–34.8) |
| Gestational age at first infusion, median (IQR) | ||
| Days | 241 (222–255) | 235 (222–253) |
| Weeks | 34.4 (31.7–36.5) | 33.6 (31.6–36.1) |
| Blood parameters, mean (SD) (n) or median (IQR) (n) | ||
| Haemoglobin b g/L | 106 (9) (n = 152) | 106 (10) (n = 126) |
| Ferritin microg/L | 6.0 (4.0–8.0) (n = 152) | 6.0 (4.0–9.0) (n = 126) |
| Iron micromol/L | 7 (5–10) (n = 143) | 7 (5–10) (n = 119) |
| Transferrin g/L | 4.3 (4.0–5.0) (n = 143) | 4.5 (4.1–5.0) (n = 119) |
| Transferrin saturation, (%) | 6 (5–10) (n = 143) | 6 (4–9) (n = 119) |
| MCH | 28 (26–30) (n = 116) | 28 (26–29) (n = 90) |
| Folate (serum), nmol/L | 28 (21–45) (n = 116) | 27 (18–41) (n = 106) |
| B12 (serum), pmol/L | 198 (162–247) (n = 149) | 202 (170–244) (n = 123) |
| B12 (active), pmol/L | 51 (37–65) (n = 115) | 49 (32–66) (n = 91) |
| CRP, ng/L | 5.7 (2.8–11.0) (n = 131) | 5.0 (2.3–10.0) (n = 113) |
| Supplements taken in pregnancy, n (%) a | ||
| None | 27 (18%) | 18 (14%) |
| Iron only | 15 (10%) | 10 (8%) |
| Iron + pregnancy multivitamin | 16 (11%) | 15 (12%) |
| Pregnancy multivitamin (no iron) | 55 (36%) | 44 (35%) |
| Other supplements (no iron) | 18 (12%) | 19 (15%) |
| Unknown | 21 (14%) | 20 (16%) |
a
May not add up to 100% due to rounding.
b
Stratification variable.