Q: I am 27 years old and 8 months pregnant woman. I came to know about haemoglobin and iron deficiency. If calcium is taken it can impair iron formation in the body. However, my treating doctor has prescribed 2 iron tablets (Oorofer) and 1 calcium tablet (Oossopan) daily. I am a little worried now as calcium intake can impair iron formation. My haemoglobin has been varying between 9.5 and 10.5 in the last 8 months. Will this level of haemoglobin can hamper my baby's growth or may result in any kind of complication during delivery? Should I take iron and calcium tablets?

A:You are certainly suffering from anaemia and hence need an iron preparation. It is true that calcium retards the absorption (not formation) of iron from the stomach and hence should not be taken concurrently. In your case iron is more important than calcium. I hope you are taking folic acid, which is a must. If not, then you can take JP Tone-TR, one capsule a day that contains both iron and folic acid. It also contains zinc that helps in formation of haemoglobin.