50 per cent of pregnant girls in India suffer from anaemia.
When you suffer from anaemia, your blood does not have healthy Red blood cells to carry oxygen to your tissues and your baby. Your body uses Iron to make Haemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in the RBCs.
Types of anaemia in pregnancy are Iron deficiency anaemia, Folate deficiency anaemia and Vitamin B 12 anaemia.
What are the risk factors for anaemia?
If you’re anaemic before you become pregnant, don’t have an iron-rich diet, are vegan or vegetarian, have twins or multiple order pregnancy, have pregnancies too close together, have severe vomiting in pregnancy, malabsorption syndromes, chronic infections like malaria, TB, worm infestations or conditions like Thalassemia or excessive menstrual loss prior to pregnancy, you are more liable to get anaemia in pregnancy.
What are the symptoms of anaemia?
Easy fatiguability, weakness, dizziness, palpitations, rapid heartbeat, breathlessness, trouble concentrating, pale lips and nails are common features of anaemia.
What are the risks to the foetus if you are anaemic?
There is a greater chance of preterm birth and low birth weight babies.
You run a risk of post Partum haemorrhage necessitating blood transfusion, your baby may be anaemic as well.
Untreated folate deficiency may lead to babies with neural tube defects.
How does your doctor diagnose the same?
Blood tests like Complete haemogram, Peripheral smear for the type of anaemia, Vitamin B 12 and Folate levels, HPLC tests to rule out Thalassemia, stool tests to detect ova and cysts due to worm infestations are ordered. In the very first antenatal visit itself, your doctor takes your history, does a clinical examination and orders your blood test that can detect anaemia.
How is anaemia prevented and treated?
Iron supplements that contain 60-100 mg of elemental iron, Folic acid 500 micrograms and Vitamin C that helps in iron absorption need to be taken.
Always remember never to take Iron capsules along with Calcium or with antacids as these reduce Iron absorption in the gut. Also taking too much tea and coffee also reduce Iron absorption.
Taking a diet rich in iron like green leafy vegetables -spinach, methi, sarsoan, kale, broccoli, lean red meat, fish, eggs, poultry, cereals fortified with Folic acid reduces the chances of anaemia.
A course of deworming medicines also helps in treating anaemia caused due to worm infestations.
If you are intolerant to oral Iron or suffer from malabsorption you may need parental ( intramuscular or intravenous iron )
Sometimes severe anaemia may require blood transfusion as well.
Let’s do our bit to fight the menace of anaemia. Let’s work towards a brighter pregnancy.
