Anemia, Iron Deficiency

The World Health Organization (WHO) currently recommends the pregnant women receive iron-containing supplements and, in settings where calcium intake is low, calcium supplements. Supplements are to be taken at two separate times of the day as calcium may interfere with iron absorption. The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether taking daily calcium supplements and iron-containing multiple micronutrient supplements together, at the same time, has any negative impact on the hemoglobin or iron status of pregnant women or the woman's infants. Participants will be randomly assigned and counseled to either take the supplements together every morning or to take the multiple micronutrient supplement in the morning and the calcium supplement in the evening. Participants will visit the antenatal clinic monthly and be asked to provide a blood sample in early, mid, and late pregnancy. Researchers will also take blood samples from infants at the time of birth.

Preconception micronutrient status (including anemia) is a critical determinant of maternal, newborn, and child health that remains undervalued in Nepal. However, providing micronutrient supplements (MMS) alone is not enough. In the Nepali context, the gap between marriage and the first birth is short and newly married women have the lowest household status. Addressing the intersectional barriers to health for newly married women, including inequitable gender norms and women's empowerment, household relationships, nutrition knowledge and practices-is essential for improving maternal and infant outcomes in Nepal. To mitigate the community, household, and individual factors resulting in poor nutrition, the team developed and pilot-tested an educational group intervention (Sumadhur, meaning "Best Relationship") for newly married women, husbands, and mothers-in-law triads. Sumadhur aims to provide information on nutrition and women's health, address inequitable gender norms and practices, strengthen household relationships and communication, and improve the household status of newly married women. The pilot study of Sumadhur brought triads of several households together for 16 interrelated sessions over four-months. Findings suggest that participants (N=90) found the intervention to be highly feasible and acceptable and nutritional norms and practices improved. We propose to test the effectiveness of Sumadhur on maternal health and nutrition outcomes using a 2-arm cluster RCT (cRCT). The intervention participants will receive the Sumadhur group intervention and will be provided MMS directly at group sessions. In control villages who do not receive the Sumadhur group intervention, we will facilitate access to MMS at primary health centers. We will randomize 70 villages to each arm (with one group per village). Each village has one group of five women (total of 700 women). Newly married women, their husbands and mothers-in-laws (total=2,100), will be followed four times for 18 months post-intervention through surveys, hemoglobin tests and blood draws (women only). The specific aims are to estimate the effectiveness of Sumadhur on women's anemia and micronutrient status, including the cost-benefit of the intervention (Aim 1); explore the impact on intermediate outcomes such as gender norms, household relationships and eating practices and characterize the individual and household-level mechanisms of impact (Aim 2); understand triadic experiences and impact over time of Sumadhur (Aim 3). Accomplishing these aims will provide evidence for how to improve micronutrient and anemia status among women before they become pregnant-thereby ensuring that women are not deficient in the critical early phases of pregnancy. These findings will also advance the field by testing novel approaches (household and community level behavior and norm change intervention) that, when combined with supplements, may lead to better adherence, uptake, and, ultimately, health outcomes, and have additional longer-term benefits.

This is a randomized, controlled multi-site trial of iron therapy in pregnancy. The purpose of this research is to see if second trimester initiation of intravenous (IV) iron therapy is better than oral iron therapy for treatment of anemia in pregnancy by improving blood count, quality of life and reducing side effects.

The World Health Organization (WHO) currently recommends the pregnant women receive iron-containing supplements and, in settings where calcium intake is low, calcium supplements. Supplements are to be taken at two separate times of the day as calcium may interfere with iron absorption. The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether taking daily calcium supplements and iron-containing multiple micronutrient supplements together, at the same time, has any negative impact on the hemoglobin or iron status of pregnant women or the woman's infants. Participants will be randomly assigned and counseled to either take the supplements together every morning or to take the multiple micronutrient supplement in the morning and the calcium supplement in the evening. Participants will visit the antenatal clinic monthly and be asked to provide a blood sample in early, mid, and late pregnancy. Researchers will also take blood samples from infants at the time of birth.

Iron deficiency is the most frequent cause of anemia during pregnancy and of maternal blood transfusion during the post-partum period. Intravenous administration is the fastest route to correct iron deficiency, bypassing the filter of iron intestinal absorption, the only true mechanism of iron balance regulation in the human body. Intravenous iron administration is suggested in patients who are refractory/intolerant to oral iron sulfate. This approach is expected to increase of at least 1 gr/dL the level of hemoglobin in 4 weeks. However, the intravenous route of iron administration has some drawbacks; first it is allowed only as in-hospital procedure and requires a resuscitation service, in accordance with the recommendations of the European Medicine Agency. Moreover, it is very expensive and negatively affects patient's perceived quality of life. A new oral iron formulation, Sucrosomial iron, bypassing the normal route of absorption, appears to be better tolerated and more cost-effective in correcting iron deficiency anemia at doses higher than those usually effective with other oral iron formulations. The hypothesis of the present study is that oral sucrosomial iron can correct iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy comparably to intravenous ferrous sulphate, with less side effects.

Diagnostic modalities for the evaluation of small bowel pathology include video capsule endoscopy (VCE), antegrade and retrograde device-assisted enteroscopy, CT and MR enterography (1). Despite VCE being the first-line evaluation modality, it lacks interventional capability. Deep enteroscopy (DE) allows tissue sampling and other therapeutic interventions with real-time endoscopic assessment. DE is usually performed with specific endoscopes (balloon-assisted device or spiral overtube) making it time consuming and there is limited availability since special instruments and accessories are required.(1,2) The through-the-scope (TTS) balloon system consists of a balloon catheter designed for anchoring in the small bowel, inserted through the instrument channel of a standard colonoscope.(3) The catheter is advanced, the balloon is inflated and anchored in the small intestine and the endoscope slides over the guiding catheter to the inflated balloon. The most common indications for DE are obscure GI bleeding, iron deficiency anemia, abnormal capsule endoscopy and chronic diarrhea. As compared to spiral, single-or double-balloon enteroscopy, TTS (NaviAid, SMART Medical Systems Ltd, Ra'anana, Israel) is a simpler technique, which requires less investment in infrastructure. The balloon catheter is advanced blindly in front of a standard adult colonoscope as it bends around the curves of the small bowel. To prevent perforation/trauma the catheter is fitted with a soft silicone tip which easily bends under pressure. Insertion depth can be calculated during the withdrawal of the enteroscope. The Aim of the study: To compare the depth of maximal ileal insertion between through-the-scope balloon enteroscopy (NaviAid) with enteroscopy using the adult colonoscope (Olympus CF-190) alone, in the same patient, in a prospective cohort at University Medical Center of El Paso, Texas.

The ICARUS 2 study has the general objective of collecting data in patients undergoing cardiac surgery; in our centre, in order to optimize and improve hemoglobin values, a team of haematologists, assisted by cardio anesthetists and cardiac surgeons, will evaluate the blood tests of patients scheduled for elective cardiac surgery in order to correct any states of hypoferritinemia (low iron in the blood) to promote recovery from blood losses related to cardiac surgery. This objective is strongly encouraged by the good use of blood programs currently in force at our foundation. In particular, the research presented here intends to demonstrate a reduction in the number of intra- and post-operative transfusions.

The FeMicrobiome study will evaluate gut microbiome features and their relationships with dietary iron absorption in healthy adults. The investigators hypothesize that (1) the gut microbiota can be shaped by the heme and non-heme Fe content of the diet and that (2) this will influence individual variation in dietary Fe absorption.

The primary aim of this randomized trial is to assess the efficacy of IV Ferric Derisomaltose vs Oral Iron in the management of women with severe Iron Deficiency Anemia due to Uterine Bleeding in the emergency department.

This is a trial with an observational and an interventional arm, in patients with moderate to severe anemia and control subjects. The main purposes of this study is to phenotype the scope of neurocognitive deficits from iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in adult women, determine derangements in cerebral perfusion, vascular reactivity, functional connectivity, and blood brain barrier permeability in adult-onset IDA and relate them to neurocognitive deficits, as well as determine the reversibility and durability of both the physiologic and neurocognitive derangements by iron replacement therapy. All eligible subjects will be asked to provide informed consent before participating in the study.

High levels of animal proteins (meat) in the diet are linked with a greater risk of developing heart disease and other long-term health conditions. Recently there has been a shift to plant-based diets including plant proteins such as pulses, defined as beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils. Pulses are a nutritious and sustainable form of plant protein which are rich in fibre and iron. Despite this, the UK population does not consume the recommended daily amount of pulses (80g/day equivalent to a large handful). In contrast, bread is commonly consumed but very little is known about how bread enriched with pulses influences the amount of iron that is digested and absorbed by the body as well as risk factors for developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes. The main purpose of this randomised controlled cross-over study is to determine how consuming bread enriched with pulses (in the form of faba bean flour at approximately 40% enrichment) compared with conventional white bread (100% wheat flour) influences the amount of iron absorbed in healthy males and females aged 18-50 years with low iron stores. Secondary aims are determining the effects on blood fats and sugar (glucose) and on feelings of fullness (also known as satiety) after eating the bread enriched in pulses and conventional white bread. Participants will be required: * To attend for seven study visits over a period of 60 days. * Consume a breakfast meal containing either the faba bean-enriched bread or conventional bread over two study periods, each consisting of one 7 hour study visit and two consecutive visits of 2 hours in duration. After 28 days, participants will return for the second study period as above, with a final study visit conducted 28 days later. * Give blood samples during 2 x 7 hour study visits * Complete visual analogue scales to rate appetite after consuming the faba bean-enriched and conventional white bread. * Record dietary intake prior to and during the study period.

to evaluate the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in group with autism spectrum disorders in comparison to normal children group