Study of frequency of anemia among pregnant women in their first trimester in different clinics of Faisalabad

Abstract

Introduction:Anemia represents a decrease in red cell mass or hemoglobin contents of blood below physiological needs (11-12mg/dl) as set by tissues oxygen demand. Physiological adaptation in pregnancy leads to physiological anemia of pregnancy so women in child bearing years are particularly susceptible to iron-deficiency anemia. The reasons are both the loss of blood through menstruation and increase blood supply demands during pregnancy. Materials and methods: Study design: Descriptive crosssectional study method. Setting: It was conducted in Gynecology clinics of Faisalabad, Pakistan. Duration of study: 6 months (Jan-June 2019). Sample Size: 60 pregnant women. Sample Technique: Simple random sampling. Sample selection: Pregnant women of first trimester falling in age group of 18-35 years were included while non-pregnant women, pregnant women of second and third trimesters and pregnant women of age < 15 years and > 35 years were excluded. Data analysis: SPSS version 20.Results: Out of 60 pregnant women, 73.3% (44) were anemic, of which 36.7% (22) were mildly anemic (10-10.9 g/dl), 30% (18) were moderately anemic(7-9 g/dl) and only 6.7% (4) were severely anemic (<7 g/dl). The rest of 26% (16) were with normal hemoglobin levels.Conclusion: Anemia in pregnancy is the most common health issue which needs prime attention of health care workers because a high percentage of women suffer from it. Therefore women of childbearing age should be provided nutritional education and proper awareness about food sources of iron. Adequate diet before and during pregnancy and proper perinatal care are the need of hour.