Question

Assertion (A): Ferrous sulphate should not be given to pregnant women who are at high risk of PIH.

Reason (R): Ferrous sulphate increases free radicals which induce serum lipid peroxide formation.

• A. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
• B. Both A and R are true but R is NOT the correct explanation of A.
• C. A is true but R is false.
• D. A is false but R is true.

Hint:

Extra iron in a woman with adequate stores can fuel free radical generation, worsening oxidative vascular injury.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
We need to look at the proposed link between routine iron supplementation and pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), and whether the given reason genuinely explains any caution around giving iron to women at high risk of PIH.

Step 2: Key Concept:
PIH is thought to involve oxidative stress and damage to the lining of blood vessels (endothelium) as part of its underlying process. Free iron, when present in excess of what the body needs, can act as a catalyst in reactions that generate free radicals, which in turn attack the fatty parts of cell membranes and produce lipid peroxides. This lipid peroxidation is one of the mechanisms proposed to worsen endothelial injury in women prone to PIH.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Assertion (A) states that ferrous sulphate should not be given to pregnant women at high risk of PIH. In women who are not iron deficient, giving extra iron on top of adequate stores can add to the pool of free iron available to generate free radicals, so caution against routine iron supplementation in this high risk group is a reasonable and true statement.
Reason (R) states that ferrous sulphate increases free radicals which induce serum lipid peroxide formation. This is also true and describes exactly the biochemical pathway, iron driven free radical generation leading to lipid peroxidation, that is believed to worsen vascular injury in PIH.
Since the reason describes the actual mechanism behind the caution advised in the assertion, R correctly explains A.

Step 4: Final Answer:
Both statements are true and R correctly explains A.