Evaluation of Ferric Carboxymaltose Versus Iron Sucrose Complex for the Treatmentof Iron Deficiency Anemia During Pregnancy: A Non-Randomized Controlled Trial at a Single Tertiary Care Setting, Malir, Karachi

Abstract

Objective: To assess and compare the efficacy of ferric carboxymaltose and iron sucrose complex in improving hemoglobin and serum ferritin levels among pregnant women diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia.
Study Design: Comparative interventional study using a quasi-experimental (non-randomized controlled trial) design.
Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Malir, Karachi, from September 2024 to March 2025.
Methods: A total of 126 pregnant women with confirmed iron-deficiency anemia were allocated to two groups of 63 each. Group A received ferric carboxymaltose, while Group B received iron sucrose complex. Hemoglobin and serum ferritin levels were measured at baseline and again three weeks after treatment. Statistical evaluation was performed using SPSS version 26.
Results: In the ferric carboxymaltose group, the mean hemoglobin level rose from 9.31 ± 0.54 g/dL at baseline to 11.9 ± 0.7 g/dL after treatment. The iron sucrose complex group showed an increase from 8.72 ± 0.62 g/dL to 11.01 ± 0.95 g/dL. Both groups demonstrated statistically significant improvements (P < 0.001), with ferric carboxymaltose showing a greater increase. Serum ferritin levels also rose significantly in both groups, with th ferric carboxymaltose group showing higher post-treatment values (P < 0.001). Furthermore, 53 (42.1%) of patients in the ferric carboxymaltose group achieved haemoglobin levels above 12 g/dL, compared to just 10 (7.9%) in the iron sucrose complex group (P < 0.001).
Conclusion: Ferric carboxymaltose was more effective than iron sucrose complex in improving both hemoglobin and serum ferritin levels among pregnant women with iron-deficiency anemia, suggesting it as a more potent therapeutic option.

How to cite this: Akbar A, Iftikhar B, Sadaf M, Asghar J, Kausar R, Nasreen S. Evaluation of Ferric Carboxymaltose Versus Iron Sucrose
Complex for the Treatment of Iron Deficiency Anemia During Pregnancy: A Non-Randomized Controlled Trial at a Single Tertiary Care
Setting, Malir, Karachi. Life and Science. 2026; 7(2): 196-202. doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.934