Evaluation of Maternal Serum Ferritin Concentrations as a Predictor of Preterm Labour

Abdelrazik, Abdelrazik Elsayed; Ibrahem, Mohamed A.; Fathy Mohamed, Mohamed Abdelsalam; Saleh Radwan, Ahmed Hisham

doi:10.21608/zumj.2025.421273.4166

Evaluation of Maternal Serum Ferritin Concentrations as a Predictor of Preterm Labour

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt

² Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt

³ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt

⁴ Lecturer of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt

10.21608/zumj.2025.421273.4166

Abstract

Background: Nearly 10% of all deliveries are preterm, making it a leading cause of perinatal illness and mortality globally. There is currently no reliable test to predict premature labor. despite the fact that many biomarkers have been proposed. Given its link to oxidative stress and inflammation, ferritin, an iron-storage protein and acute-phase reactant, may help identify women at risk. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of maternal serum ferritin concentrations in association with preterm labor. Methods: Case control study was conducted at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Zagazig University Hospitals, including 100 pregnant women divided into two groups: preterm labor (n=50) and full-term labor (n=50). All participants underwent detailed clinical assessment, obstetric evaluation, and laboratory investigations. Serum ferritin was measured using an ELISA assay. Results: Maternal age and parity did not significantly differ across groups (p>0.05). Compared to the full-term group, the preterm group's serum ferritin levels were significantly higher (71.8±14.9 ng/mLvs. 24.1±6.7 ng/mL, p<0.001). A ferritin threshold of >32 ng/mL was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, which produced a sensitivity of 61.2%, specificity of 93.5%, PPV of 74.5%, NPV of 85.3%, and overall accuracy of 75%. Conclusion: Ferritin is a simple, non-invasive, low-cost marker that showed higher levels in women with preterm labor. While it may assist in antenatal risk assessment, our findings indicate an association rather than a definitive predictive role.

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