The study “Relationship between the consumption of maternal meat during pregnancy and the concentration of ferritin in the umbilical cord” confirms the essential role of the presence of red meat in the diet of pregnant women for the good health of the fetus. Specifically, for the supply of heme iron, whose deficiency at this delicate moment can cause long-term adverse neurological effects. The study in question is the first to evaluate the level of meat consumption during pregnancy and its relationship with the amount of iron in the fetus, confirming what has already emerged from previous studies on the risks of a meat-free diet in pregnant women and in children.
The need for iron during pregnancy is in fact very high, estimated at 27 mg / day, a level that is not easy to achieve, especially if there is a lack of information about it or poor eating habits in families: according to the World Organization of Health, 30% of women of childbearing age and 50% of pregnant women suffer from anemia, and this is unfortunately also due to the fact that the truly reliable sources of heme iron are only red meat, in addition to that of bird and fish.
