What is the recommended daily intake of iron for pregnant women?

Appeared in: BTSC Staff Nurse 1 August-2025

Explanation

The recommended daily intake of iron for pregnant women is 27 mg.
This increased amount is necessary to support the expansion of maternal red blood cell mass and to meet the demands of the growing fetus and placenta.
Iron is crucial for producing hemoglobin, which transports oxygen throughout the body for both the mother and the baby.
Inadequate iron intake can lead to iron-deficiency anemia, a common complication in pregnancy.

Option A: 13 mg is an insufficient daily iron intake for a pregnant woman. This amount is below the recommendation for even non-pregnant women.
Option B: 17 mg is inadequate for the increased physiological demands of pregnancy. It is very close to the RDA for non-pregnant, menstruating women (18 mg/day).
Option C: 7 mg is a very low iron intake for a pregnant woman. This amount is closer to the recommended daily intake for adult men (8 mg/day).

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Nutritional requirements during pregnancy - Iron intake as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses must screen for and educate pregnant clients on preventing iron-deficiency anemia, which increases the risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, and postpartum maternal infections.
Client education should include dietary counseling on iron-rich foods and advice on supplementation, such as taking iron with a source of Vitamin C (e.g., orange juice) to enhance absorption.
It is also important to advise clients to avoid taking iron supplements with milk, tea, or coffee, as these can interfere with absorption.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key components of the question: 'recommended daily intake', 'iron', and 'pregnant women'.
Recognize this as a factual recall question requiring knowledge of nutritional guidelines in pregnancy.
Recall that pregnancy significantly increases the body's need for iron compared to the non-pregnant state to support increased blood volume and fetal growth.
Compare the standard recommended value (27 mg/day) with the given options.
Select the option that matches the established dietary reference intake for iron during pregnancy.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Nutritional requirements during pregnancy - Iron intake
Stem keywords: recommended daily intake, iron, pregnant women
Lead-in keywords: What is
Clinical cues: Age/sex group narrows the expected diagnosis, intervention, or normal reference range.
Negative lead-in flag: false

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Practise the full BTSC Staff Nurse 1 August-2025

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.