what is a healthy iron level?

[pacha]

I got my test results through in the post and it says that my iron level is 12.2.

I have no clue whether this is low/high/healthy etc..

any ideas??

Thanks girls x

 

[SoonToBeMrs]

Oh hun I'm not sure, I have low iron levels but I have no idea what my count is.. I just get told by the doctor or my MW that I have low iron.. I never get told how much etc.

If you haven't been contacted by MW or doctor then it must be average.

Just found these online.. see if you can make sense of them..

Iron level test

Normal serum iron values are as follows:


Adult males: 75-175 micrograms/dL


Adult females: 65-165 micrograms/dL


Children: 50-120 micrograms/dL


Newborns: 100-250 micrograms/dL.

TIBC test

Normal TIBC values are as follows:


Adult males: 300-400 micrograms/dL


Adult females: 300-450 micrograms/dL.

Transferrin test

Normal transferrin values are as follows:


Adult males: 200-400 mg/dL


Adult females: 200-400 mg/dL


Children: 203-360 mg/dL


Newborns: 130-275 mg/dL.

Normal transferrin saturation values are between 30-40%.

Ferritin test

Normal ferritin values are as follows:


Adult males: 20-300 ng/mL


Adult females: 20-120 ng/mL


Children (one month): 200-600 ng/mL


Children (two to five months): 50-200 ng/mL


Children (six months to 15 years): 7-140 ng/mL


Newborns: 25-200 ng/mL.

 

[MummyJess]

This time around my booking in bloods were 10.8. I was told by my midwife that this was borderline anaemic - if they had been 10.5, they would have medicated. By the time I had my 28 week bloods done (at 31 weeks!), the levels had climbed to 11.2, which obviously is much healthier.

So your level of 12 is good and healthy - hope it stays that way for you!

 

[pacha]

Thanks ladies, very helpful as always Man, Id be lost without this forum

 

[Kittykins]

Mine was 13.4 and the midwife asked me if I chewed on girders - she'd never seen levels so high. She said that she normally sees 11.8 - 12.5 in the 'good' range, rarely sees anyone above 12.5. So your level sounds perfect. I just checked my notes as I have the full printouts from the hospital screening tests, and the ideal range is given as 11.8 - 14.8 g/dl, just in case that helps anyone.

FYI, the iron test they do in antenatal checkups is the haemoglobin test. Haemoglobin is a type of protein found in the red blood cells that transports oxygen to the various parts of the body (and the baby...). They check the haemoglobin count, and also the pattern (how many normal/abnormal).

Ferritin is a different type of protein that stores iron - the ferritin test just checks how much iron your body has stored. The other tests mentioned are similar, related to other ways in which the body uses iron. It's the haemoglobin test that shows whether you have sickle-cell disease or thalassaemia, hence the most relevant.

 

[HollyHobby]

Mine was 13 and a half and she said they like it over 10 and a half.
I do eat alot of beans though so maybe this could be why mine was so high?

tbh though, I've often wondered if i could be anaemic as i can be so pale, but guess not!