Severe forms of anemia can even lead to cardiac arrest. In studies in Shanghai and Nepal, Stoltzfus, assistant professor of international health, found that anemia appears to increase a pregnant woman's risk of premature delivery and of having an underweight baby. Researchers have also discovered that iron deficiency impairs cognitive development. Stoltzfus is currently studying the link between anemia and cognitive impairments in schoolchildren in Zanzibar. Scientists have yet to establish the mechanism underlying such impairments, Stoltzfus says.
Physicians recommend that pregnant women take iron supplements.
In developing nations, however, getting pills to everyone who needs them is not always feasible, so researchers have studied other strategies. In Sri Lanka, Stolzfus consulted on a project to fortify flour with iron. Such efforts have constraints, however, since the most absorbable forms of iron tend to degrade over time, or cause food to take on a metallic taste or turn colors.