A REVIEW ON ANEMIA DURING PREGNANCY WITH ITS COMPLICATIONS AND THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS

Soffia Mary J.*, Jeya Ananthi J., Arumugavignesh M., Jessica P. and Nandhini SR

ABSTRACT

Anemia is one of the most frequent complications that is prevalent among pregnant women. Anemia is clinically manifested by decreased count of red blood cells and decreased level of serum hemoglobin. Anemia ultimately leads to poor oxygen carrying capacity of blood. According to World Health Organization’s criteria, pregnant women whose haemoglobin levels less than 11.0 g/dl during first and third trimesters and less than 10.5 g/dl during the second trimester are said to be anaemic. Increase in plasma volume during pregnancy plays a significant role as the etiology for anaemia during pregnancy. Iron deficiency and folic acid deficiency anaemia are the common types of gestational anaemia. Moreover iron and folic acid requirements are peaked during pregnancy. In order to prevent or mitigate the complications of anaemia in pregnancy, iron and folic acid supplements are necessitated. Further folic acid is supportive in preventing neural tube defects in infants. The main objective of this review is to emphasise the causes and pathogenesis of different types of gestational anaemia with their respective therapeutic options to treat and mitigate. It also sheds light towards the maternal and foetal complications of anaemia in pregnancy.

Keywords: Anemia, Pregnancy, Iron deficiency, Folic acid deficiency, Neural tube defects.