Abstract
Background: Anemia is one of the commonest health problems faced by pregnant women in both developing and developed countries. Maternal anemia is a potential risk factor for fatal outcomes like low birth weight and preterm delivery. This study intended at comparing the birth weight of the babies who were born to mothers with and without anemia during the third trimesters.
 Materials and methods: This study is a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted at Kathmandu Medical College, Teaching Hospital from July 2019 to June 2020. The third-trimester hemoglobin of mothers was recorded along with the birth weight of their respective babies. Mothers with regular antenatal care visits at this hospital were included and the known causes for anemia like renal disorders, twin pregnancies, and others were excluded from the study. The third-trimester hemoglobin level of all pregnant females was correlated with the birth weight of the babies.
 Results: Out of a total of 2417 pregnant women, 317 (13%) had anemia. The overall prevalence of low birth weight was 12%. Out of 317 anemic mothers, 99 (31%) delivered low birth weight babies. Among those 99 low birth weight babies, 30 (30%) were preterm and 69 (70%) were term babies with the prevalence of low birth weight in anemic mothers being 31%. The correlation between maternal hemoglobin and birth weight was found to be statistically significant.
 Conclusions: Despite regular antenatal care, maternal anemia still prevails, affecting neonatal birth weight. There was a statistically significant correlation between maternal hemoglobin and birth weight (p-value <0.0001).
Highlights
Anemia is defined as a condition in which the number of red blood cells is insufficient to meet the body’s physiologic needs.[1]
The lowest point of this fall is erratic, and for this reason, there is a need for criteria to define anemia in pregnancy.[4]
All pregnant females with regular antenatal checkups (≥4 visits) at Kathmandu Medical College and Teaching Hospital (KMCTH) having laboratory reports of third-trimester hemoglobin levels were included in the study
Summary
Anemia is defined as a condition in which the number of red blood cells (and their oxygen-carrying capacity) is insufficient to meet the body’s physiologic needs.[1] It is one of the most commonly encountered health problems that affect 25% to 50% of the population of the world and approximately 50% of pregnant women.[2]. In pregnant women during the mid-trimester, there is a physiological fall in hemoglobin concentration. This fall is mainly due to the rise in plasma volume and consequent decline in hematocrit. The lowest point of this fall is erratic, and for this reason, there is a need for criteria to define anemia in pregnancy.[4]. This study intended at comparing the birth weight of the babies who were born to mothers with and without anemia during the third trimesters
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