Anaemia in Pregnancy
Anaemia is the commonest killer in pregnancy. Accounting for poor intake of iron and the menstrual blood loss most women barely maintain their iron balance. Pregnancy tips the balance towards deterioration.The normal range of haemoglobin in a adult female is 11-13 grams per 100 ml of blood. In pregnancy the lower limit is taken as 10 gms to account for the excess plasma. Haemoglobin lower that 10gm% is harmful for the mother and treatment should be initiated.
The symptoms of anaemia include breathlessness, palpitations, fatigue, leathery, poor concentration and swelling in legs. Anaemia can cause worsening of symptoms in women with heart disease.
Anaemia is commonly diagnosed by a simple physical examination and a blood test. The doctor would probably look under your eyes and tongue. He may also examine your abdomen and ask for stool examination.
Estimating haemoglobin is the main way to diagnose anaemia. This test is easy, cheap and available everywhere. You should get you haemoglobin checked every month while you are pregnant. You must aim to keep the haemoglobin to greater that 11gm%.
If your haemoglobin is low apart from the above mentioned problems, you will also have a higher chance of infections and a higher chance of problems while in labour.
To prevent anaemia, pregnant mothers should include plenty of iron in their diet. Some common sources of iron include liver, meat and green leafy vegetables. Eggs and milk are a particularly poor source of iron.
Apart from dietary measures, pregnant women are also routinely prescribed iron supplements. These typically consist of 230 mg of elemental iron. Iron supplements come in form of tablets and capsules. Tablets cause greater irritation in stomach, but capsules are more erratically absorbed from the stomach.
You should start taking these supplements from 12th week of pregnancy and continue to take them throughout the pregnancy. This will ensure that you have a good level of haemoglobin when you go for delivery.
Anaemia also causes foetal growth retardation. With lack of haemoglobin, the amount of oxygen that can be transferred to the baby decreases. Hence the baby’s growth suffers and it bones and muscles remain underdeveloped. Less iron in the mother’s body translates into less iron in the child’s body as well. As a result the baby also suffers from anaemia.
In the preceding paragraphs, much has been said about anaemia in prenancy, but the bottom-line is that anaemia in pregnancy is a sinister but easily treatable condition. It can be prevented with simple measures like iron pills, and regular monitoring in form of monthly check ups and early intervention will enhance the maternal and foetal outcomes.