Ali Haider
This cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate s the prevalence of anemia in pregnancy in Pakistan. Blood samples of 500 random patients from Karachi,250 from Khanewal,390 from Lahore,100 from Faisalabad,300 from Mardan and 1369 from Hyderabad were collected and analyzed. The overall prevalence rate of anemia in pregnancy including different cities of Pakistan was found to be 69.4%. This cross-sectional study revealed that anemia is a common problem in pregnancy regarding iron, foliate and may be vitamin B12 insufficiency and the deficiency of anyone from these lead to the development of physiological defects in the fetus during pregnancy. We were found that the socio-economic and demographic factors like poor dietary habits badly affect the pregnancy status.
The anemia during pregnancy can be easily overcome by oral and IV remedies. During this cross-sectional study we concluded that iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most prevalent type of anemia during pregnancy in Pakistan. Introduction: Anemia originates from a Greek word anemia which means “lack of blood”. This condition leads to the reduction of red blood cells or the oxygen carrying capacity of RBCs is reduced to cope with the normal physiologic demands of the body. World health organization (WHO) defines anemia in pregnancy when hemoglobin concentration <11.0 g/dl and further categorized into mild anemia (Hb 9 – 10.9 g/dl) moderate anemia (Hb7-8.9 g/dl) and severe anemia as (Hb< 7 g/dl) [1,2]. This condition is common in women who have reached the stage of pregnancy.
Anemia has been studied and documented like a risk factor in the pregnant women and fetus. Anemia affects 1.62 billion individuals around the world. Anemia is predicted to affect 43% of people in poor countries and 9% of people in rich countries [18,21,23]. Anemia is thought to play a role in more than115, 000 maternal deaths. Annually there are 591, 000 maternal fatalities and 591, 000 prenatal deaths in all over the world. Anemia can strike at any age, but it is more common in women during pregnancy because of increased iron supply, physiologic demands, and bacterial infections.
The most prevalent type of anemia is nutritional anemia; Iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12 are among the most important nutritional deficiencies throughout the developing countries. Iron and foliate insufficiency is probably the most common cause of anemia in pregnant women. Poor hygiene may also be the contributing factor to infections and infestatations.75% of anemia cases are due to iron deficiency. In Pakistan the prevalence of anemia among the married women aged 15-44 is reported to be 26% in urban areas and 47% in rural areas.
The deficiency of iron in the body is caused by intake of foods which has insufficient supply of iron and less availability of used iron regarding the need during pregnancy. During third trimester of pregnancy the consumption of iron rises about more than seven times than the first trimester of pregnancy. Etiology of Anemia during pregnancy: While mild anemia is normal for some individuals during pregnancy. However if left untreated it may cause significant issues that require further developed clinical treatment. Physiological pallor is a common condition related with pregnancy while the general blood volume changes during pregnancy, the fluid (plasma) volume builds more than expansion in the red cell volume. The outcome is a lower level of red cells in general blood volume, a change that is reflected in a hemoglobin test.
During pregnancy depleting iron stores may also contribute to maternal anemia. Your body works more earnestly to give the right sustenance to your developing child; causing blood volume to increment by around 45%.That is stage where that physiological illness may become an integral factor. The body additionally gives child the iron expected to make their own hemoglobin. The assessment of the contribution of each etiological factor of anemia is problematic because the maternal physiologic changes swap the parameters which are helpful in the diagnoses of anemia and nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy. For example serum vitamin B12 level is gradually decreases towards the end of pregnancy.
The etiologic pattern during pregnancy is probably complex because of the existence of nutritional deficiencies and infections simultaneously. Parasitic infections may cause anemia like malaria, schistosomias is and hookworm infection. Sometimes, bone marrow aspirates are used to diagnose nutritional deficiencies. It is observed that the immune compromised pregnant women may develop anemia e.g in case of having HIV disease. Thus from the above discussion it is concluded that, various etiologic factors are responsible for anemia that changes in association with season.
The writer is BS (Hons) Medical Laboratory Technology M.phil Scholar (NUMS)
