Maternal iron restriction prior to conception is associated with embryonic iron deficiency, postnatal anemia, and reduced postnatal central nervous system iron levels.

<p>The <i>ID -2wks</i> and <i>CTL</i> pregnant dams were sacrificed at different time points during gestation (E13, E15, E17, and E19) and embryos were characterized in respect to total iron content by AAS analysis. <b>A</b>. The nutritional <i>ID -2wks</i> regimen generated embryonic ID as early as E15 (Mean ± SEM, * p<0.001). <b>B</b>. The embryos of <i>ID -2wks</i> dams were significantly smaller than <i>CTL</i> embryos at all gestational ages after E13. (For A and B: at E13, n = 12 <i>CTL</i> embryos and n = 10 <i>ID-2wks</i> embryos; at E15, n = 6 <i>CTL</i> embryos and n = 6 <i>ID -2wks</i> embryos; at E17, n = 11 <i>CTL</i> embryos and n = 13 <i>ID -2wks</i> embryos; at E19, n = 6 <i>CTL</i> embryos and n = 6 ID <i>-2wks</i> embryos; for all gestational ages, each <i>CTL</i> and <i>ID -2wks</i> group was composed of embryos from 3 separate litters; Mean ± SEM, * p<0.05). <b>C</b>. Hematocrit measurements in <i>ID -2wks</i> pups (red bars) revealed values significantly lower than in <i>CTL</i> pups (black bars) at postnatal day 7 (P7) (Mean ± SEM, * p<0.0001). <b>D</b>. Serum iron concentrations measured at P7 were significantly decreased in blood samples collected from <i>ID -2wks</i> rat pups (red bars) compared to <i>CTL</i> pups (black bars)(For C and D: <i>CTL</i> and <i>ID-2wks</i> each had n = 8 pups from 3 separate litters, Mean ± SEM, * p<0.0001). <b>E</b>. AAS at postnatal day 45 showed reduced iron level in ID spinal cord and cerebellum compared to CTL samples (spinal cord: n = 8 <i>CTL</i> and n = 5 <i>ID -2wks</i> samples; cerebellum: n = 5 <i>CTL</i> and n = 5 <i>ID -2wks</i> samples; each <i>CTL</i> and <i>ID -2wks</i> group contained tissue samples harvested from 3 separate litters, Mean +/− SEM, * p<0.05).