Iron absorption is increased in all except

Ref Harrison 19 th ed pg 626 The first stage is negative iron balance, in which the demands for (or losses of) iron exceed the body's ability to absorb iron from the diet. This stage results from a number of physiologic mecha- nisms, including blood loss, pregnancy (in which the demands for red cell production by the fetus outstrip the mother's ability to provide iron), rapid growth spus in the adolescent, or inadequate dietary iron intake. Blood loss in excess of 10-20 mL of red cells per day is greater than the amount of iron that the gut can absorb from a normal diet. Under these circumstances, the iron deficit must be made up by mobilization of iron from RE storage sites. During this period, iron stores--reflected by the serum ferritin level or the appearance of stain- able iron on bone marrow aspirations--decrease. As long as iron stores are present and can be mobilized, the serum iron, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), and red cell protoporphyrin levels remain within nor- mal limits. At this stage, red cell morphology and indices are normal.