Rendina DN, et al. - The impact of maternal stress during pregnancy on newborn iron and stage 1 iron deficiency at 1 year of age was investigated in this analysis. On the basis of known risk factors for iron deficiency, 245 mothers and their newborn infants (52% male; 72% white) were enlisted at the Meriter Hospital Birthing Center. It was observed that maternal recall of stress during pregnancy was correlated with lower iron stores at birth. Researchers reported that high cord blood zinc protoporphyrin/heme (ZnPP/H), reflecting low erythrocyte iron, was associated with the likelihood of stage 1 iron deficiency at 1 year, when rapid growth can deplete storage iron in breastfed infants.