Anemia in Pregnancy

Anemia (defined as having Haemoglobin less than 11g/dL) occurs when there is NOT enough red blood cells in your body to carry oxygen to the vital vital organs such as brain, heart and muscle.  When these organs do not get enough oxygen, they won’t be able function properly and can result in the following symptoms for the mother;

• Fatigue or easy to get tired
• Feeling cold
• Dizziness or headache
• Fast heart rate
• Shortness of breath
• Pale or cold skin
• Cramps or restless leg syndrome

Common types of Anemia affecting pregnant women include;

• Iron-deficiency anemia (not enough iron)
• Folate-deficiency anaemia (not enough folic acid)
• Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia (not enough vitamin B12)

Which pregnant women are more at risk?

Many women (around 20 to 30%) will get some form of anaemia during pregnancy because the body needs to produce an extra blood to supply the baby. The risk for getting anemia is higher if you have the following;

• Multiple pregnancy (such as twins or triplets)
• Getting pregnant with short time after the previous pregnancy (poor child spacing)
• Have previous issues with heavy periods

How does anemia affect the baby during pregnancy ? If the anemia goes untreated, your baby is at higher risk of having the following complications;

• Premature birth
• Low birth weight baby
• Baby with anaemia after birth
• Birth complications

Severity of Anemia. The anaemia can be classified from mild to severe depending on the Haemoglobin reading;

• Normal is when the Haemoglobin is more than 11.1 g/dL
• Mild anemia is 9.1 to 11 g/dL
• Moderate anemia is 7 to 9 g/dL
• Severe anaemia is less than 6.9 g/dL

Treatment of anaemia in pregnancy

During your pregnancy journey, you should eat a healthy balanced diet rich in vitamins and iron (around 30mg per day) such as seafood, green leafy vegetables and fruits.  If your blood test shows that you have anemia, you should ask your doctor about taking iron supplement and also vitamins such as Vitamin B, C and folic acid to have a healthy pregnancy.

Consult your GP Doctor or Gynaecologist during your Ante-natal visits during your pregnancy

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