A Study of Frequency of Anemia in Pregnant Females in Tertiary Care Hospital, Islamabad

Abstract

Background: Anemia is among the most public hematological disorders, especially in pregnancy. It is a nutritional deficiency disorder that affects pregnant women, mainly in underdeveloped countries. Pregnant women who suffer from anemia often have bad pregnancy outcomes and may lead to difficulties that endanger both the mother's and the fetus's health. This study aimed was to determine the frequency of anemia among pregnant women in tertiary care hospitals in Islamabad.

Material and Methods: This cross-sectional investigation was carried out in the Dr. Akbar Niazi Teaching Hospital's pathology and gynecology department in Islamabad. All the pregnant women who visited for antenatal check-ups from January 2021 to December 2021 were involved in the study. Data was taken through a specially designed proforma and statistical analysis was accomplished using SPSS version 21.

Results: A total number of 93 pregnant females were enrolled in the study. The average age of pregnant women was 30.6 ± 6.0 (20-43). The average hemoglobin in our study population was 11.1± 1.4 (8-13 g/dL). The mean range of WBC counts was 11,304/mm3 ±7722 (4100/mm3 - 81000/mm3), the mean value of RBC count was 4.1 mil/mm3 ± 0.6 (2-5 mil/mm3). The overall prevalence of anemia in pregnant females was 45% (n=42). Out of 42 pregnant anemic women, 25 (59%) had normocytic normochromic type of anemia, 15 (36%) had microcytic type of anemia, and 2 (5%) had macrocytic type of anemia. Mild anemia was recorded in 26 (30%) of the pregnant females, while moderate anemia was recorded in 16 (17%) of the pregnant females, and 51 (55%) of the pregnant females had no anemia.

Conclusion: Anemia was found in the majority of pregnant females visiting tertiary care teaching hospitals. The frequency of mild anemia was high and also according to severity. The most common morphological type of anemia was normocytic normochromic. The overall prevalence of anemia in pregnancy was 45% (n=42).55% of pregnant women were non-anemic and new severe anemia was detected.