Publication:

Impact of socio demographic factors on the severity of maternal anaemia

Background Anaemia in pregnancy is still a global problem and one of the leading causes for maternal mortality and morbidity in most of the developing countries. The aim and objective of the study was to know the role of various sociodemographic factors and its association with maternal anaemia.

Methods This is a retrospective observational study at a Community Health Centre in Chamarajanagar District. For the study purpose WHO categorization of severity of anaemia was used. All the delivered patients were divided into mild, moderate or severe degree of anaemia based on their hemoglobin (Hb%) levels at the time of delivery and the impact of the sociodemographic factors on the degree of anaemia was expressed as the percentage of severity.

Results A total of 1270 cases were included in the study out of which 270 (21.3%) of pregnant women had a normal hemoglobin level and 503 (39.6%) parturient were mildly anaemic, 460 (36.2%) with moderately anaemic and 2.9% (n=37) were severely anaemic. Patients who had an interpregnancy interval of >2 years, 60 % had normal Hb% and only 1.6% were severely anaemic. Moderate and severe anaemia was found more in women who were illiterates and an education level of less than high school level.

Conclusions Anaemia in pregnancy is associated with several social and demographic factors. Strategies must be taken from the conceptional level itself by providing proper antenatal counseling and women should be economically empowered and good antenatal care must be made available and accessible to all of them. Even with routine iron prophylaxis in pregnancy, still the prevalence of anaemia is high, so should we consider one or two doses of routine parenteral iron therapy for all pregnant women?