Anaemia in Pregnancy
In last week’s edition, I wrote about anaemia. In this condition, the body lacks enough healthy red blood cells or has a low haemoglobin concentration.
I also mentioned that haemoglobin is the main protein in the red blood cells that carries oxygen to the body tissues.
In today's edition of The Missing Link, I write about anaemia during pregnancy.
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It's pretty normal for a pregnant woman to have mild anaemia because her body uses more iron to produce more blood to supply oxygen to her baby. As a result, the blood volume in her body increases, and so does the amount of iron she needs.
If your patient is pregnant, she is at greater risk of 2 types of anaemia, namely iron-deficiency anaemia and vitamin-deficiency anaemia.
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Iron-deficiency anaemia is a condition caused by a sufficient amount or a lack of iron in the body resulting. Since iron is required for making haemoglobin, when it is insufficient, there is a?reduction in the number of red blood cells produced to carry oxygen to the tissues.
Iron-deficiency anaemia is common and affects more than 2 billion people worldwide. It is also the most common cause of anaemia during pregnancy.
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Vitamin-deficiency anaemia. There are many types of vitamins. The vitamin B complex is essential during pregnancy for the baby's healthy development. Vitamin B12 and B9 (vitamin B9 is also called folate or folic acid) are necessary because they are needed for producing healthy red blood cells.
During pregnancy, women need extra vitamins B12 and B9. If they do not get enough of these vitamins from their diet, enough healthy red blood cells cannot be made.
Vitamin B complex deficiency during pregnancy may contribute to birth defects, such as neural tube abnormalities, and can even lead to preterm labour.
Good source of B vitamins includes green leafy vegetables, kidney beans, fish such as salmon,
What are the risk factors of anaemia during pregnancy?
Pregnant women are generally?at risk of anaemic because they need more iron and vitamins than usual, but the risk is greater if she:
●???????Is pregnant with more than one child
●???????Has had two pregnancies close together
●???????Vomits excessively because of morning sickness
●???????Is a pregnant teenager
●???????Does not eat enough food that is rich in iron, folates, and vitamin B12
●???????Was anaemic before she became pregnant
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Why is anaemia a problem during pregnancy?
Anaemia during pregnancy leads to various risks of poor outcomes, especially for the baby. Some of these risks include:
●???????Giving birth to a preterm or low birth-weight baby
●???????Giving birth to a baby with anaemia
●???????Having a child with developmental delays
●???????Needing a blood transfusion, especially if there is a significant amount of blood during delivery
●???????Having postpartum depression
●???????Giving birth to a baby with a serious birth defect of the spine or brain (especially neural tube defects due to folate deficiency)
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How is anaemia diagnosed during pregnancy?
During the first prenatal appointment, do a blood test to check for anaemia.
This blood test usually includes the following:
●???????Haemoglobin test: this test measures the amount of haemoglobin in the body
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●???????Hematocrit test: this test measures the percentage of red blood cells in the blood
Suppose a pregnant woman has a haemoglobin or hematocrit test result that is lower than normal. In that case, she might have an iron deficiency, but it is always safer and better to check other blood tests to determine the causes of the anaemia.
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What if your patient does not have anaemia at the beginning of her pregnancy?
Then recommend another blood test to check for anaemia in her second or third trimester.
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What are the symptoms of anaemia during pregnancy?
They are many symptoms of anaemia during pregnancy, but the most common symptoms include the following:
●???????Feeling fatigued, tired, or weak
●???????Dizziness
●???????Shortness of breath
●???????Rapid heartbeat
●???????Low concentration level
●???????Pale skin, lips, and nails
It is important to note that these symptoms can occur even when pregnant women are not anaemic.
Some women do not have obvious symptoms even if they are anaemic, so it is essential to recommend routine blood tests to all pregnant women during their prenatal appointments.
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How can you help your patients prevent anaemia during pregnancy?
The best way to prevent anaemia during pregnancy is to recommend eating a healthy balanced diet and to consider eating more foods rich in iron, folates, and Vitamin B12.
Such foods include; Poultry, fish, leafy green vegetables, beans, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, lentils, eggs, iron-enriched cereals and grains, nuts and seeds, liver, bananas, beetroot, peas, papaya, carrots, and okra.
However, advise avoiding eating liver during pregnancy.
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Managing anaemia during pregnancy
As listed above, suggest eating more foods rich in iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid.
If enough iron, folate, and vitamin B12 cannot be obtained from the diet,?consider recommending dietary supplements such as iron, vitamin B12, or folate supplements.
Work closely with a haematologist and schedule periodic blood tests to monitor haemoglobin and hematocrit levels and screen for other conditions such as diabetes or sickle cell disease.
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I hope you find this edition of The Missing Link helpful and that the information in this article can help you serve your patients better and achieve optimal health outcomes.
I am Helen Fosam , a medical writer passionate about improving health outcomes through continuing medical education in Africa.
To learn more about our courses and what we do, connect with Helen Fosam and The MiLHO Initiative and check out our website https://milho.net/.
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1 年This is quite an insightful article Helen Fosam, PhD. I learned a lot from it. Thanks for sharing ??
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1 年Really interesting article, Helen. I'll pass this on to my pregnant friend :)