Anaemia in Pregnant Women of Sokoto Residents in North Western Nigeria

Abstract

Background: In developing countries, anaemia is a cause of serious concern as it contributes significantly to high maternal mortality. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women in Sokoto, Northern Nigeria due to scanty information in this region. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 273 pregnant women at Usmanu Danfodio University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto between June and November, 2015. Socio-demographic characteristics of the pregnant women were collected using structured questionnaire while the red cell parameters of each subject were determined using haematology analyser. Results: Overall prevalence of anaemia was 39.2% while the prevalence of anaemia with respect to pregnant women less than 19 years, 20-24 years, 25-29 years, 30-34 years, 35-39 years and ≤ 40 years were 50.0%, 46.8%, 38.9%, 37.5%, 23.3%, and 100.0%, respectively. Out of all the anaemic pregnant women, 86.0% had mild anaemia, 14.0% had moderate anaemia and none had severe anaemia. The means and standard deviations of haemoglobin and haematocrit for the pregnant women were 11.1 ± 1.27 g/dL and 33.5 ± 3.2%, respectively. Conclusion: The study has revealed an overall prevalence of anaemia in pregnant women of 39.2% with the highest prevalence amongst those above 40 years. The high prevalence of pregnant women with mild anaemia may be associated with proper antenatal care at UDUTH and good dietary habit. Early booking and improvement on health and nutritional education are recommended.