Three hundred and sixty-three pregnant women enrolled in the Pregnancy Medical Care Program of S. Paulo Health Department in the district of Butantan, S. Paulo city, Brazil, were studied at their first routine consultation between April and October, 1988. Their average age was 25 and 65,9% of them belonged to families with a monthly income below US$ 50.00 per capita. Only 3.1% presented an income above US$ 150.00 per capita. Taking the minimum transferrin saturation threshold of 15% as determining iron deficiency, a 4.6% prevalence of iron deficiency was observed in the first trimester, 17.3% in the second trimester and 42.8% in the third trimester, resulting in an overall prevalence of 12.4%. There was no significant difference between prevalences of iron deficiency according to the number of pregnancies. The prevalence of iron deficiency was higher in women presenting incomes below US$ 50.00 per capita.
Iron deficiency; Pregnancy complications; Anemia hypochromic
