Prevalence and Causes of Anemia Among Pregnant Women Admitted in a Tertiary Care Hospital in North India.

Background:Anemia is a condition in which the hemoglobin concentration of a women during pregnancy is <11g/dL. More than 50% of pregnant women suffer from anemia and it is the second leading cause(20%) of total maternal deaths. Aim of the study: was to estimate the prevalence and causes of anemia among pregnant women admitted in a tertiary care hospital in North India, and to determine its association with maternal and fetal outcomes. Study design: Cross-sectional study which included 200 consecutive participants fulfilling the inclusion criteria. Results: 200 females were evaluated out of which 171(85.5%) were anemic. 47% had mild, 37% patients had moderate and 1.5% had severe anemia. There was statistically significant association between anemia and age(p<0.001), parity(p<0.001), low birth weight(LBW)(p=0.05), presence of pallor(p<0.001), lethargy(p<0.001), palpitations(p=0.001), breathlessness(p=0.007) and lack of IFA intake(p<0.001). Anemic participants had significantly higher proportion of microcytic hypochromic presentation(p=0.011), lower serum iron concentration(p<0.001), higher Total Iron Binding Concentration(TIBC)(p<0.001), lower serum ferritin(p<0.001), lower serum folate(p<0.001), lower serum B12(p<0.001) as compared to non anemic participants. No statistically significant association was observed between anemia and BMI, educational level, socioeconomic status, residence(urban/rural), trimester, gap between child birth. Conclusion: Iron deficiency anemia amongst pregnant females is highly prevalent; and to improve maternal and fetal outcomes; prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of anemia in pregnancy is to be given priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]