Publication:

Pregnancy with pancytopenia: an observational study

Background Pancytopenia is the reduction in all three major cellular elements of blood; hence it is the simultaneous presence of anaemia, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia. Pancytopenia is associated with many maternal and foetal complications during pregnancy like maternal sepsis, postpartum haemorrhage, pre-eclampsia and preterm labour, IUGR and intrauterine foetal demise.

Methods The study was conducted at BLDE (Deemed to be) University, Shri B. M. Patil Medical College Hospital and Research Centre. It’s an observational study done from November 2019-April 2020. The participants enrolled in the study were subjected for further clinical and laboratory evaluation and followed for feto-maternal outcome.

Results The incidence of pancytopenia with pregnancy in this study was 3% and all the patients were vegetarian by diet along with vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiency. They were associated with different maternal and foetal complications.

Conclusions Proper dietary counselling and well-balanced dietary plans even with plant originate food can prevent the micronutrients deficiency and avoid the deleterious consequences like pancytopenia.