Clinical and epidemiological aspects related to term pregnancy anemia

Introduction

The purpose of the authors was to study the risk factors for the anemia associated with term pregnancy and its impact on the maternal and fetal prognostic.

Method and Material

The research was conducted on a group of unselected 1492 pregnant women at term who gave birth at a regional clinical hospital, in 2007. The study group was evaluated for anemia (hemoglobin and hematocrit) and fetal and maternal outcome.

Results

We observed  the presence of anemia in 43% of the subjects, a phenomenon which still persists even after implementing a treatment program. The most affected age groups were young mothers between the ages of 21 and 30 (46.29%), and between the ages of 15 and 20 (29.62%). There was no statistically significant difference between urban and rural environments. By profession, the most affected pregnant women were farmers (44.44%) and housekeepers (22.22%). In most situations (81.48%), the anemic mothers are either monitored at a late stage (2^nd trimester) or not monitored at all. The majority of the anemic pregnant women are held by primiparae (61.11%) and by women who are pregnant for the first time (44.44%). There was no significant difference between prematurity in anemic mothers and the non-anemic ones, but most of the high risk premature children are born to anemic mothers. Also, most of the neonatal deaths occurred in anemic women. 15.2% of anemic pregnant women had severe anemia, with an Hb level less than 8g/dl.

Conclusion

Women not monitored during the first pregnancy, having a poor socio-economical condition, housekeepers or farmers, at young ages under 20, constitute the risk groups for intrauterine growth restriction and neonatal death, being the target group for the treatment of anemia at pregnant women.