Pregnant women with severe anemia reporting in labor: prevalence, socio-demographic and obstetric determinants

Abstract

Background: Severely anemic women reporting in labor remains one of the most important challenging situation for the obstetrician as well as for the mother and her family due to its adverse feto-maternal outcome. Various socio-demographic and obstetric conditions need to be explored which are important to tackle them, for primary prevention of anemia. The aim and objectives of the study were to estimate prevalence of severe anemia in pregnant women reporting in labor in a tertiary hospital of Delhi and to evaluate various socio-economic and associated obstetric factors associated.Methods: This is a hospital based, prospective, case contol study. Hemoglobin was estimated at the time of labor room admission. Fifty consecutive antenatal women with severe anemia (Group A) and 50 non-anemic women (Group B) were enrolled in early labor. Socio-demographic and obstetric factors, were recorded and analyzed.Results: Prevalence of severe anemia was estimated to be 2.23%. Determinants of severe anemia were found to be socio-economic status (p value 0.001), education (p value 0.001), rural living (p value 0.016), calorie intake (p value 0.001), BMI (p value 0.046), booking status of pregnancy (p value 0.001), gravida (p value 0.024), inter-conception interval (p value 0.002) and regular iron-folic acid intake (p value 0.001).Conclusions: Primary prevention of anemia by targeting these factors at the community/state/ national level, by the policy makers is important. Early booking and screening for anemia in antenatal clinics, providing iron supplements to anemic women for secondary prevention of severe anemia is recommended so that no woman reports with severe anemia in labor.