Abstract
Iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy is a common and treatable condition that can potentially affect pregnant women and their unborn fetus. In pregnant women, iron deficiency anemia can lead to complications such as preterm labor, preeclampsia, and even sepsis. In children, iron deficiency anemia could affect the neurodevelopment of the fetus. This could potentially result in poor school performance, behavioral problems, or cognitive deficits. In addition, iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy could lead to intrauterine growth disturbances and potential fetal loss. In order to address this problem, an outpatient intravenous iron infusion clinic has been implemented at a Women’s Hospital to allow for access to an alternative approach to treatment. Oral iron supplementation, the traditional treatment of iron deficiency anemia, is most often poorly tolerated by patients. As a result, many patients exhibit poor compliance with treatment for iron deficiency anemia. The goal of this quality improvement project is to provide patients and providers with an effective and efficient outpatient alternative approach to treat iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy.
Keywords: iron deficiency anemia, pregnancy, fetus, intravenous, iron infusio
