A new study is questioning whether routine recommendations of iron supplements are warranted as high levels of iron have been linked to an increased risk of developing diabetes during pregnancy. The research found that during the second trimester of pregnancy, women with higher iron levels had more than twice the risk of developing gestational diabetes compared to women with the lowest iron levels. Dr. Robert Courgi, an endocrinologist at Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, N.Y., explained that this study shows "you can't globally treat every pregnant woman with iron. We should diagnose iron deficiency, then treat. It is true that there will be a large proportion of pregnant women who require iron therapy."
