Question

Treatment of iron deficiency anemia associated with pregnancy is

• A. Ferrous sulphate
• B. Iron-dextrin tablet
• C. Folic acid
• D. Iron-dextrin injection

Hint:

Ferrous sulphate is the first-line treatment for iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy due to its effectiveness in replenishing iron stores.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Iron deficiency anemia needs iron replacement, not just any hematinic.
Folic acid treats a different (folate-deficiency) anemia, and iron-dextrin injections are reserved for cases where oral iron fails or can't be tolerated, making them second-line, not routine.
Ferrous sulphate is the inexpensive, well-absorbed, first-line oral iron salt used as standard treatment for iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy.
So the answer is Ferrous sulphate.

Answer 2

Sort the options by whether they even supply iron, and then by whether they represent routine first-line versus special-case treatment.

1. Ferrous sulphate: A basic oral iron salt, cheap and effective, used as the routine first-line therapy for iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women.
2. Iron-dextrin tablet: Supplies iron but is not the conventional default oral choice compared to ferrous sulphate in standard antenatal protocols.
3. Folic acid: Does not supply iron at all; it addresses folate-deficiency megaloblastic anemia and neural tube defect prevention, a different clinical problem entirely.
4. Iron-dextrin injection: An injectable route reserved for patients who cannot tolerate or absorb oral iron, making it a second-line rather than routine option.

Since folic acid doesn't even address iron deficiency, and the injectable and less-common oral iron forms are reserved for special situations, the routine first-line answer remains the basic oral iron salt.

Therefore, the correct answer is Ferrous sulphate.