Abstract
The aim of the study to assess the effect of iron and folic acid intake during pregnancy on maternal and neonatal health status at delivery at El-jomhoria hospital in Benghazi 2013.
Material and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study of delivered mothers at Al-jomhuria hospital in Benghazi during 2013.The sample size was 203 delivered mothers. The
Results: The study revealed that 90.6% of pregnant women received folic acid and 89.7% iron. The study reported a significant effect of iron intake on maternal health status at delivery (odds ratio= 5.9, CI (1.3-26.7). Also, the study reported a significant relation between the incidence and type of congenital anomalies and folic acid intake during pregnancy (X22=9.8 & P=0.007), while reported no significant relation with iron intake. Conclusion: iron and folic acid supplementation can reduce maternal and child complications at delivery and neonatal period. The study recommends pre-pregnancy folic acid intake and iron and folic acid supplementations for every pregnant woman to prevent congenital anomalies and maternal and child complications during delivery.