Webmd explains the causes, symptoms, and treatment of anemia during pregnancy. Normal pregnancy is characterized by profound changes in almost every organ system to accommodate the growing and developing fetoplacental unit. The most effective treatment for anemia during pregnancy is to take an iron supplement in addition to your prenatal vitamin. Anemia is a condition in which the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells. It will include preconceptual screening and antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal management. The major hematologic changes during pregnancy include expanded plasma volume, physiologic anemia, mild neutrophilia in some individuals, and a mildly prothrombotic state. Iron deficiency anemia is responsible for 95% of the anemias during pregnancy. Keywords anaemia in pregnancy, iron deficiency anaemia, haemoglobin, ferritin. While some degree of dilutional anemia is part of normal pregnancy physiology, iron deficiency anemia can have serious adverse health consequences for the mother and child. Whether you have these signs of anemia or not, you will usually be tested at least twice during pregnancy for anemia. Anemia is one of the most frequent complications related to pregnancy.
Anemia is the commonest hematological disorder that may occur in pregnancy. Anemia epidemiology, pathophysiology, and etiology in low. The very low incidence of anemia in the 1979 study might have been due to the use of a hemoglobin concentration of 10 gdl as the definition of anemia in pregnancy. Iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy hirslanden private hospital. The some other nutritional anemia causes by folic acid, vitamin c, vitamin b 2 and b 12 and copper ahmed, 2000. Prevalence of anemia in pregnant women in district karak. However, vitamin b 12 or folic acid deficiency results in blood cells that are larger than normal macrocytic anemia whereas, iron deficiency leads to the production of. Pathological anemia of pregnancy is mainly due to iron deficiency beard, 2000. Anemia in pregnancy management guidelines background anemia is very common in pregnant women, and 99% of such women in the united states are iron deficient. Of the pathologic causes of anemia in pregnancy, anemia due to iron deficiency. Anemia is a decrease in number of red blood cells rbcs or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood.
The time, when a woman carries a developing of the fetus in her womb. Ida is the most common, particularly in more developed. During pregnancy, one of the first bodily changes a woman experiences is the expansion of their blood volume by 20 to 30 percent, according to the american society of hematology. Continuing education contact hour opportunity assessment. International journal of gynecology and obstetrics 115s1 2011 s11s15 2. A woman who is pregnant often has insufficient iron stores to meet the demands of pregnancy. Anemia is caused by a lack of healthy red blood cells. What medication is used to treat irondeficiency anemia during pregnancy. Anemia is common during pregnancy, but it can lead to serious problems for your unborn child.
Medication for irondeficiency anemia during pregnancy. Iron requirements increase during pregnancy, and a failure to maintain sufficient levels of iron may result in adverse maternalfetal consequences. Anemia is the commonest hematological disorder that occurs in pregnancy. With this condition, red blood cells are broken down and absorbed faster than they can be created, which results in anemia. Anemia in pregnancy causes prevention symptoms diagnosis. Here you can read posts from all over the web from people who wrote about anemia and multiple pregnancies, and check the relations between anemia and multiple pregnancies. Who estimates that more than half of pregnant women in the world have a haemoglobin level indicative of anaemia pdf file. Pale skin color and pale sclera are both signs that validate the diagnosis of anemia. This volume is intended both to provide a common frame of reference for health professionals in preventing and treating iron deficiency anemia and to enable the u. Centers for disease control and prevention to prepare national guidelines and recommendations for the prevention and control of iron deficiency anemia. This is sometimes called anemia of pregnancy, do not think this is not normal, unless the level is low 4. Iron deficiency anemia prevalence of pregnant sierra leone women currently is reported to be 59. Red blood cell distribution width rdw the rdw is usually elevated early in iron deficiency 10, but may also occur with vitamin b 12 or folic acid deficiency 11. The most common cause of anemia in pregnancy is lack of iron.
The world health organization 1972 defines anaemia in pregnancy as a haemoglobin concentration of less than 11. The range of low hb among pregnant women in other developing countries is from 35% to 81% mclean, 2002. Prevention good pre pregnancy nutrition helps prevent anaemia as well as build other nutritional stores in the mothers body. There are over 400 types of anemia, but the vast majority of anemia during pregnancy is caused by low iron, with folate deficiency coming in second. Normal physiologic changes in pregnancy affect the hemoglobin hb, and there is a relative or absolute reduction in hb.
The two most common causes of anemia in pregnancy and the puerperium are iron deficiency and acute blood loss. Iron deficiency anaemia in pregnancy oxford university hospitals. This causes the concentration of red blood cells in the body to dilute. Scribd is the worlds largest social reading and publishing site. Iron deficiency anemia accounts for 7595% of the cases of anemia in pregnant women. Anemia is alternately defined as a reduced absolute number of circulating rbcs 12 or a condition in which the number of rbcs and subsequently their oxygencarrying capacity is insufficient to meet physiologic needs. At 1416 weeks first hb estimation has to be done at 1416th week for all the antenatal mothers if the hb is more than 11 gms, give prophylactic dose of ifa tablets. The inci dence of anaemia varies from place to place even within the same country and depends on the socioeconomic status and level of. Thus, it is critical to distinguish iron deficiency anemia from physiologic anemia, as well as to identify other less common. Anemia is considered to be a direct cause of 37% of maternal deaths.
Purpose and scope the purpose of this guideline is to describe the management of pregnant women with sickle cell disease scd. In uganda, the prevalence of anemia among pregnant women who attended antenatal care was estimated at. Improving management of anemia among pregnant women i. Epidemiology of anaemia in pregnancy anaemia has been found to be associated with poverty and underdevelopment and is one of the most common disorders globally. The defined values consistent with anemia in pregnancy are hemoglobin levels less than 11 g per dl 110 g per l in the first or third trimester, or less than. In cases of severe anemia or ongoing blood loss, a blood transfusion may be necessary especially when delivery is imminent. Iron deficiency is seen frequently because of prior menstrual losses, prior pregnancy related losses, and nutritional factors. Pdf nursemidwifery management of irondeficiency anemia. Red blood cells provide oxygen to body tissues1 anemia during pregnancy is defined as hb pdf file. No consensus, however, has been reached as to the in. The patient also said that she had fatigue and was short of breath, these symptoms also indicate anemia. Anaemia in pregnancy is an important public health problem worldwide. As anaemia is so common during pregnancy, all women in the.
Natural remedies for anemia during pregnancy mama natural. The occurrence of low hemoglobin in our study is 70. As most women start their pregnancy with anemia or low iron stores, so. Guidelines for the use of iron supplement to prevent and treat iron.
Prevalence of anemia among pregnant women in south eastern. According to the recent standard laid down by who, anemia is present when the hemoglobin hb concentration in the peripheral blood is 11 gmdl or less. The management of anemia in a pregnant woman depends on the duration of pregnancy, severity of the anemia and complications 10. In trinidad as well as in some other caribbean territories, a value of 10. In this rare condition, there is a lack of red blood cells because the bone marrow stops producing them. Research article s january, 2016 prevalence of anemia and. If the hb is less than 7 gms%, she has to be referred to cemonc centres for blood transfusion and further. An overview of anemia in pregnancy poliklinika harni. Uk guidelines on the management of iron deficiency in pregnancy. In india, incidence of anemia in pregnancy has been noted to be as high as 4080%. During pregnancy, the blood volume of a woman has increased by 50%. Assessment of anemia knowledge, attitudes and behaviors among pregnant women in sierra leone fredanna a.
Iron deficiency anaemia may also impair temperature regulation and cause pregnant women to feel colder than normal. Anemia, the most common hematologic abnormality, is a reduction in the concentration of erythrocytes or hemoglobin in blood. The who reported that a combined treatment with iron and vitamin a. The dilution of blood in pregnancy is a natural process and starts at approximately at the eighth week of pregnancy and progresses until the 32nd to 34th week of pregnancy 3.