Non-anemic Pregnant Women Research Articles

Malaria Infection in relation to parasitological indices, blood group and anaemia in pregnant women attending two health facilities in Adamawa State, Nigeria

Decline of maternal immunity and susceptibility to malaria had posed a detrimental effect on the maternal health and foetal outcomes. A cross-sectional study was carried out in two different secondary health facilities at General Hospital Ganye and Cottage Hospital Toungo with the aim of determining the malaria burden in relation to parasite species, parasite density, blood group and anaemia in pregnant women who booked for antenatal care as first timer irrespective of their gestational stage. A total of 471 randomly selected pregnant women who consented to the study were enrolled for the study. Blood samples were collected from each of the consented pregnant women. Thick and thin blood smear were prepared using Giemsa and examined microscopically to detect malaria parasite and infecting species, respectively. The overall prevalence of malaria was 22.9% (n=108). Plasmodium falciparum and P. malariae were the two malaria species encountered with a prevalence of 78.7% and 19.4%, respectively. Mixed infection had a 1.9% prevalence. Parasite density was recorded as low (67.6%), moderate (11.1%) and severe (21.3%) with a statistical significance (P=0.000). Prevalence of malaria in relation to blood group showed that pregnant women with blood group O (51.9%) had the highest burden of malaria infection and blood group AB (6.5%) had the least, although there was no statistical significance. Non-anaemic pregnant women recorded the highest infection prevalence (37.0%). This study revealed that malaria infection is significantly associated with the infecting parasite species and parasite density. It was discovered that P. falciparum was the most predominant species in the region during the period of this research.

Accuracy of the model derived from red blood cell indices in predicting α0-thalassemia trait among non-anemic pregnant women

BackgroundThe study aims to establish prediction model derived from red blood cell indices to improve the accuracy of α0-thalassemia trait screening in non-anemic pregnant women. MethodA diagnostic study as secondary analysis on the prospective database was conducted. The participants were pregnant women, undergoing α0-thalassemia screening at first visit antenatal care using red blood cell indices with confirmation by PCR method. Diagnostic performance of each of red blood cell parameter and their combination derived from logistic regression analysis in predicting α0-thalassemia trait were determined. FindingsThe total 587 Thai pregnant women were included in the analysis, consisting of 136 cases of α0-thalassemia trait and 451 normal controls. Diagnostic performance analysis revealed that, the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) provided a sensitivity of 98.5 % and a false positive rate of 20.2 %. While The mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) provided a sensitivity of 99.3 % and a false positive rate of 15.7 %. The combined-parameters prediction model including hemoglobin (Hb), MCV, MCH, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), red cell distribution width (RDW), and red blood cell (RBC) count, demonstrated excellent diagnostic performance with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.992, sensitivity of 99.3 %, and much lower false positive rate of 4 %. InterpretationThe combined-parameter prediction model provided excellent diagnostic performance with low false positive rate. The application of the prediction model could decrease unnecessary PCR method for α0-thalassemia testing, thereby decreasing the cost of investigation. Our proposed model can possibly have a great impact or significant change in clinical practice, especially in Southeast Asia.

Evaluation of Iron Deficiency Anemia in Pregnancy

Anemia in pregnancy was the common nutritional deficiency and a frequent medical concern that leads to numerous known complications, impacting both maternal and fetal health. Objective: To evaluate the biochemical parameters such as serum Iron, Ferritin TIBS and TfS in anemic and non-anemic pregnant women. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, pregnant women age 18-45 years attending the gynecological department of Niazi welfare foundation teaching hospital, Sargodha from April 2023 to January 2024 were included. Serum iron, ferritin, total iron-binding capacity, and transferrin saturation were assessed from blood samples. Independent sample t-test in SPSS version 26.0 was applied to see significant difference in biochemical parameters at value of <0.05. Results: Findings revealed mean hemoglobin level of 10.26 ± 1.52 g/dl in all participants. Anemic results were found in majority, accounting for 268 (70.9%) cases. Among these anemic patients, 149 (55.5%) had mild anemia, 107 (40%) had moderate anemia, and 12 (4.5%) had severe anemia. Anemic patients had significantly lower serum ferritin level (p = 0.02), serum iron (p < 0.001), and transferrin saturation (p < 0.002) than non-anemic patients. Additionally, total iron-binding capacity, (p < 0.001) indicated the anemic status of the pregnant women. Conclusions: Biochemical parameters of pregnant women with anemia were reduced compared to those without anemia. Healthcare providers should closely monitor pregnant women with reduced biochemical levels to prevent complications for both the mother and the fetus.

The Effects of Prenatal Iron Supplementation on Offspring Neurodevelopment in Upper Middle- or High-Income Countries: A Systematic Review

Iron supplementation is commonly recommended for the prevention and treatment of maternal iron deficiency (ID) or iron deficiency anemia (IDA). However, the impacts of prophylactic of therapeutic prenatal iron supplementation on child neurodevelopment in upper middle-income (UMI) and high-income countries (HICs), where broad nutritional deficiencies are less common, are unclear. To investigate this, we conducted a systematic review, searching four databases (Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Library) through 1 May 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing oral or intravenous iron supplementation in pregnant women reporting on child neurodevelopment (primary outcome: age-standardized cognitive scores) were eligible. We included three RCTs (five publications) from two HICs (Spain and Australia) (N = 935 children; N = 1397 mothers). Due to clinical heterogeneity of the RCTs, meta-analyses were not appropriate; findings were narratively synthesized. In non-anemic pregnant women, prenatal iron for prevention of IDA resulted in little to no difference in cognition at 40 days post-partum (1 RCT, 503 infants; very low certainty evidence). Similarly, the effect on the intelligence quotient at four years was very uncertain (2 RCTs, 509 children, very low certainty evidence). No RCTs for treatment of ID assessed offspring cognition. The effects on secondary outcomes related to language and motor development, or other measures of cognitive function, were unclear, except for one prevention-focused RCT (302 children), which reported possible harm for children’s behavioral and emotional functioning at four years. There is no evidence from UMI countries and insufficient evidence from HICs to support or refute benefits or harms of prophylactic or therapeutic prenatal iron supplementation on child neurodevelopment.

Maintaining Normal Serum Ferritin Levels During Pregnancy: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Daily versus Weekly Ferrous Sulfate

Background: Serum ferritin is the most reliable indication of stored iron in pregnancy, offering a noninvasive way to detect iron deficiency anemia before it occurs. Therefore, this study aimed to determine serum ferritin levels among women receiving daily versus weekly iron supplementation, with a secondary focus on comparing the proportion developing iron deficiency anemia and compli-ance rates between the two groups.Methods: This non-blinded randomized control trial involved non-anaemic pregnant women attend-ing antenatal clinics at two Teaching Hospitals in Osun State. One hundred twenty-five subjects were recruited to receive 65mg in the control group, while another 125 subjects in the active group re-ceived three tablets (195mg) of ferrous sulfate (Fesulf) once weekly for 17 weeks from the 20th to 37th weeks of gestation. The primary outcome measure was comparing mean serum ferritin levels in both groups at 37 weeks.Results: Among the 240 subjects analyzed, the 37-week serum ferritin level was higher in the daily group (73.26±26.67μg/L) compared to the weekly group (63.04±30.71 μg/L), p value=0.006. Four (3.36%) and 10 (8.26%) of our subjects had Iron deficiency anaemia. Nine subjects (3.75%) reported dyspepsia as a side effect. Daily 65 mg of Felsulf proved more effective than weekly 195mg in main-taining normal blood ferritin levels during pregnancy.Conclusions: Daily iron supplementation with 65mg ferrous sulfate was more effective at main-taining adequate maternal iron concentration in this group of non-anaemic pregnant women. This dosage is recommended for routine iron supplementation in our environment.

Article The Incidence Rate of Premature Rupture of Membranes (Prom) Among Anemic and Non-Anemic Pregnant Women

Article The Incidence Rate of Premature Rupture of Membranes (Prom) Among Anemic and Non-Anemic Pregnant Women

Gestational diabetes and serum ferritin concentration in Iraqi pregnant women

Background. A strong connection between elevated ferritin levels and diabetes incidence was noted as diabetes mellitus (DM) in pregnant women. Objective. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of elevated ferritin levels on the development of gestational diabetes mellitus GDM in early pregnancy. Materials and methods. Thirty expecting women with a gestational age of 12-16 weeks and 30 age-matched healthy pregnant women were enrolled in this study. Blood measurement of ferritin was collected in the first trimester. Glucose tolerance test was done to diagnose GDM at the period (24-28) weeks. Results. Highly significant differences in the levels of HbA1C, R.B.S, and ferritin were found between control and patients (p= 0.0001), respectively. There was positive correlation in the ferritin level with HbA1c (r= 9033), RBS (r= 0.24) and with iron r = (0.002). Conclusion. Serum ferritin can be used as a diagnostic marker for gestational diabetes mellitus in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy, and to determine the appropriate regular supplementation and dosage relationship for both anemic and non-anemic pregnant women.

The relationship between anaemia and the use of treated bed nets among pregnant and non-pregnant women in Ghana.

Studies have indicated that the risk of malaria, particularly its association with anaemia in pregnant women, increases when treated bed nets are not used. This paper utilizes a statistical mechanical model to investigate whether there is a statistical relationship between the presence or absence of anaemia in pregnant and non-pregnant women and their decision to sleep under treated bed nets. Data from the Ghana Malaria Indicator Survey (GMIS), which includes both rural and urban malaria-endemic areas in Ghana, were employed in this study. A total of 2,434 women, comprising 215 pregnant and 2,219 non-pregnant participants, were involved. Among these, 4.76% of the pregnant and anaemic women and 45.89% of the non-pregnant and anaemic women slept under treated bed nets, while 0.86% of the pregnant and anaemic and 6.82% of the non-pregnant and anaemic women did not. The findings revealed that, in the absence of social interaction, non-anaemic pregnant women have a lower prevalence of choosing to use bed nets compared to their anaemic counterparts. Additionally, non-pregnant anaemic women showed a positive private incentive (30.87%) to use treated bed nets, implying a positive correlation between anaemia and the choice to sleep in a treated bed net. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that both pregnancy and anaemia status have a relationship with the use of treated bed nets in Ghana, especially when social interactions are considered. The interaction strength between non-pregnant and anaemic women interacting with each other shows a negative estimate (-1.49%), implying that there is no rewarding effect from imitation. These insights are crucial for malaria prevention and control programs, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to enhance the use of treated bed nets among both pregnant and non-pregnant women in Ghana's malaria-endemic regions.

HUBUNGAN ANEMIA DAN KURANG ENERGI KRONIK (KEK) PADA IBU HAMIL DENGAN KEJADIAN BERAT BADAN LAHIR RENDAH (BBLR) DI WILAYAH KERJA PUSKESMAS KANDANGAN KABUPATEN TEMANGGUNG

Infant mortality rate (IMR) remains a serious issue in Indonesia, and it continues to increase every year. In 2021, Puskesmas (community health center) Kandangan in Temanggung Regency had the second-highest rate of low birth weight (LBW) cases, which was 5.37%, with as many as 38 cases. In addition, there were also two neonatal deaths attributed to LBW. Anemia during pregnancy increases the risk of mothers giving birth to LBW babies due to insufficient hemoglobin, which is essential for oxygen transport and nutrient intake. Furthermore, pregnant women with chronic energy deficiency (CED) suffer from inadequate nutrient intake, which leads to reduced fetal nutrition. This research aimed to investigate the relationship between anemia, CED, and the incidence of LBW among pregnant women in the working area of Puskesmas Kandangan in Temanggung Regency. This research employed analytical observational method with retrospective approach. The population included all live-born infants in the working area of Puskesmas Kandangan in 2022, totaling 657 infants. The researchers employed a 1:1 case- control sampling method, which resulted in 102 samples—51 LBW cases and 51 normal birth weight (NBW) infants as the control group. Data analysis was done using the Chi-square (X2) formula. The findings reveal the relationship between anemia and LBW incidence which has a p-value of 0.0060.05 and an odds ratio (OR) of 0.324. Similarly, the relationship between CED and LBW incidence has a p-value of 0.0020.05 and an OR of 0.264. In conclusion, there is a significant relationship between anemia, CED, and LBW incidence among pregnant women. Mothers with anemia are three times more likely to give birth to LBW babies compared to non-anemic pregnant women. Meanwhile, mothers with CED are twice more likely to give birth to LBW babies compared to pregnant women without CED.

Association of Gestational Iron-deficiency Anemia with Antenatal Depression among Pregnant Women: A Case-control Study from Tertiary Care Hospitals, Lahore.

The goal of this study is to investigate the potential association between gestational anemia and antenatal depression in pregnant women. It is a case-control study consisting of 684 pregnant women under 18 years recruited in different tertiary care hospitals, in Lahore, between June 2023 and December 2023. Utilizing an online questionnaire, data collection encompassed demographics, dietary habits, and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Pregnant women with antenatal hemoglobin (Hb) levels above and below 11.0 g/dL were categorized as a nonanemic and anemic group. Statistical analysis involved Chi-square tests to explore the relationships between gestational parameters and maternal factors. The depression scores of anemic and nonanemic pregnant women compare two groups of pregnant women based on their Hb levels: those with Hb <110 g/l during pregnancy (anemic) and those with Hb ≥110 g/l (nonanemic). The anemic group had higher depression scores than the nonanemic group, both for those with EPDS <12 points and those with EPDS ≥12 points. However, P = 0.077 indicates that this difference was not statistically significant at a typical alpha level of 0.05. No significant association was found between gestational anemia and antenatal depression in pregnant women. These findings prompt further research to unravel the intricacies of the association between gestational anemia and depression. The outcomes thus urge the researchers and health-care professionals to consider the diverse factors that may contribute to mental health outcomes during pregnancy and refine strategies for maternal care.

Anemia burden in pregnancy and birth outcomes among women receiving antenatal care services from a secondary level hospital in South India: A record review

ABSTRACT Introduction: Anaemia in pregnant women is a major public health problem and is associated with adverse outcomes both in pregnant mothers and new-borns. According to NFHS-5, 45.7% of women in urban India were affected by anaemia during their pregnancy. The objectives of this study were to estimate the proportion of pregnant women who were anaemic and its effect on maternal and birth outcomes, and additionally, to assess the various socio-economic factors contributing to anaemia during pregnancy. Methodology: Data was collected by reviewing records between December 2018 and December 2021 of 302 pregnant women who had received antenatal care at a secondary level health facility in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu. The data included details of socio-economic parameters, parity, haemoglobin levels, mode of delivery, pregnancy related complications during the antenatal period and during delivery, including need for blood transfusions in mothers. Birth-related outcomes like miscarriages, intra-uterine death, low birth weight (LBW), need for NICU admission and congenital defects were also analysed. Variables in the study are described as frequencies and proportions. Appropriate tests were used to check for association and a P- value of less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The mean age of the women was 24 ± 3.72 years and the mean Haemoglobin level during the first trimester was 10.5 ± 1.12 gm/dl. The proportion of women with anaemia in the first trimester was 174 (57.6%). Among the anaemics, 15 (8.6%) required treatment in the form of injectable iron and 29 (16.7%) required blood transfusion. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) (31.6%) (P &lt; 0.05), preeclampsia (38.9%) (P &lt; 0.02) less among anaemic. Hyperemesis (66.7%) (P = 0.58), risk of miscarriage (57.8%) (P = 0.94), postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) (80.0%) (P = 0.15) was higher in the anaemic group. Adverse Neonatal-related outcomes such as low birth weight babies (52.0%) (P = 0.54), meconium aspiration (72.7%) (P = 0.25) and need for NICU admission (75.0%) (P = 0.25) was higher in babies born to anaemic pregnant women. Conclusions: The proportion of anaemic women was 57.6%. There was no significant difference in maternal demographic characteristics or obstetric factors between anaemic and non-anaemic pregnant women. GDM, pre-eclampsia was less prevalent among anaemic women. Hyperemesis, risk of abortion, postpartum haemorrhage and low birth weight (LBW) infants was higher in anaemic pregnancies. The need for providing education regarding iron supplementation and early detection of anaemia during pregnancy should be emphasised to avoid complications.

Iron salt supplementation during gestation and gestational diabetes mellitus

OBJETIVE: To evaluate the association between the use of iron salts during the first two trimesters of gestation in non-anemic women and the development of gestational diabetes mellitus. METHODS: The study used maternal data from the 2015 Pelotas Birth Cohort. All non-anemic women at the 24th week of gestation (n = 2,463) were eligible for this study. Gestational diabetes mellitus was self-reported by women. Crude and adjusted logistic regression were performed considering level of significance = 0.05. RESULTS: Among the women studied, 69.7% were exposed to prophylactic iron supplementation in the first two trimesters of gestation. The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus among those exposed was 8.7% (95%CI: 7.4–10.1) and 9.3% (95%CI: 7.4–11.6) among those who were not exposed. Iron supplementation was not associated with increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in crude (OR = 0.9; 95%CI: 0,7–1,3) and adjusted analysis (OR = 1.1; 95%CI :0,8–1,6). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that routine iron use in non-anemic pregnant women does not increase the risk of developing gestational diabetes. This evidence supports the existing national and international guidelines, in which prophylactic iron supplementation is recommended for all pregnant women as soon as they initiate antenatal care in order to prevent iron deficiency anemia.

Risk Factor of hyperemesis gravidarum incidence

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Background&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;: Hyperemesis Gravidarum is severe and excessive nausea and vomiting, starting at 4 and 6 weeks of gestation and peaking at 8-12 weeks of pregnancy, and usually subsiding by 20 weeks of gestation. As a result of excessive nausea and vomiting, pregnant women are at risk of dehydration, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, losing 5% of body weight, and can even endanger the fetus's health. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Objective:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt; to recognize the risk factors for the incidence of hyperemesis gravidarum to detect early and reduce the consequences of hyperemesis gravidarum. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Research Methods:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt; This type of research is an analytical observational study with the research design of the Case Control method with a sample size of 240, and the ratio of cases and controls in the study is 1: 1.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Results:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt; The results showed that risk factors have an association with the incidence of hyperemesis gravidarum, namely the age of pregnant women has a value (p = 0.014 &amp;lt;0.05, OR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.184-0.7998). Parity with a value of (p=0.008, OR=2.14, 95% CI: 1.253-2.656). Gestational age was (p=0.000, OR= 49.63, 95% CI: 18.730-131.51). Education with a value of (p = 0.188, OR = 0.500, 95% CI: 0.204-1.228). Maternal occupation with a value of (p=0.002, OR= 2.34, 95% CI: 1.380-3.999). Maternal pregnancy spacing with value (p=0.004, OR=2.17, 95% CI: 1.298-3.642). Non-anemic pregnant women (p=0.032&amp;lt;0.05, OR= 2.36, 95% CI: 1.128-4.971) and status of pregnant women with value (p=0.004, OR= 2.22, 95% CI: 1.315-3.74).&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Almost all risk factors studied had a relationship, but only maternal education in this study did not have a relationship. Maternal age, parity, gestational age, maternal employment, pregnancy distance, anemia, and BMI status are risk factors for hyperemesis gravidarum. By knowing these risk factors, it is hoped that health workers can detect early and anticipate to minimize the severity when pregnant women are exposed to HEG. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Iron supplements in pregnant women with normal iron status: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Effects of daily iron supplementation in iron replete pregnancy are unclear. This systematic review aimed to assess benefits and harms of oral iron supplements in pregnant women without anemia and iron deficiency. We predefined and registered a protocol in PROSPERO (CRD42020186210) and performed the review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology. We searched for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and observational studies comparing daily oral iron supplementation with no iron supplements in non-anemic iron replete pregnant women. Searches were conducted in MEDLINE (by PubMed), EMBASE (by OVID), Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to September 2022 without language restrictions. Two authors independently screened records, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias using the revised Cochrane risk of bias tool (RoB2). One author read full-texts, assessed certainty of evidence by GRADE and conducted meta-analyses using a random-effects model. Primary outcomes included iron deficiency anemia, iron deficiency, hemoglobin >130 g/L, elevated iron status, small for gestational age newborns, low birthweight newborns, preterm birth, and congenital anomalies. Eight RCTs (2822 women) but no observational studies were eligible for inclusion. Daily oral iron supplementation in pregnancy probably reduces iron deficiency anemia at term (risk ratio [RR]: 0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.38-0.70; 4 RCTs, 1670 women; I2 = 13%; moderate-certainty evidence) and the incidence of low birthweight babies (RR: 0.30, 95% CI: 0.13-0.68; 2 RCTs, 361 infants; I2 = 0%; moderate-certainty evidence). In addition, it may reduce iron deficiency at term (RR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.60-0.92; 4 RCTs, 1663 women; I2 = 58%; low-certainty evidence) and the incidence of small for gestational age babies (RR: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.17-0.86; 1 RCT, 213 infants; I2 not estimable; low-certainty evidence). Daily iron supplementation in iron replete non-anemic pregnant women probably reduces the risk of maternal iron deficiency anemia at term and low birthweight.

KAJIAN PERBANDINGAN TABLET TAMBAH DARAH HARIAN DAN MINGGUAN PADA IBU HAMIL TERHADAP KADAR HEMOGLOBIN

The prevalence of anemia in pregnant women is still high. According to the RISKESDAS 2018, the prevalence of anemia in pregnant women is 48.9%. The impact caused by anemia is low birth weight and bleeding in pregnant women and premature babies. Compliance in consuming daily Iron Folic Acid (IFA) is still a significant obstacle to date, so it is hoped that weekly IFA supplementation can improve compliance in pregnant women. This study aimed to determine the effect of daily versus weekly use of IFA in pregnant women on hemoglobin levels. The method used is a literature review. The search strategy used uses a database (Pubmed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct) with the keywords Pregnancy (Population), Iron supplementation (Intervention), Daily and Weekly (Comparison), and Hemoglobin (Outcome). The study obtained nine journals as study material. The nine journals showed that daily iron supplementation in non-anemic pregnant women gave better results in terms of adherence, and hemoglobin levels showed an increase that was not significantly different from daily. Weekly iron supplementation can be ensured in non-anemic pregnant women because it can increase hemoglobin levels to prevent anemia in pregnant women.

Comparison of the Nutritional Health Profile of the Pregnant Women and its Association in Developing Anemia: A Progressive Study of the Rich and Poor Pregnant Women of the Ajmer City

Introduction- Anemia in pregnancy is one of the gravest world health crises affecting one fourth of the world population, mainly children and women of the reproductive age. The onset of anemia is attributed to two major classifications being ‘Nutritional’-meaning deficiency of minerals and vitamins, and ‘Non nutritional’ corresponding to infection and hemoglobinopathies. The only micronutrient mandatorily required supplementing to fill the gap between the dietary intake and the demand is iron. Micronutrient’s iron, folate, and vitamins are very vital for the proper growth of the fetus during pregnancy. The diverse consequences of nutritional anemia are recurrent abortion, recurrent fetal loss, congenital abnormalities, preterm labour, reduced birth weight and neonatal and maternal mortalities. Methodology- It’s an empirical, longitudinal, prospective, and comparative study using a structured questionnaire on the target group of the urban population in the city of Ajmer city. Results and Conclusion- Assessing BMI, there were 51.61% of anemic rich pregnant women who were considered malnourished as they belonged to the group with BMI &lt; 18.4 kg/m2 whereas among the poor anemic pregnant women it was 75.87% women under this BMI. Evaluating the poor non-anemic pregnant women, nearly 16.98% of women belonged to BMI &lt; 18.4 kg/m2 category and 8.95% of the rich non-anemic women who had their BMI &lt; 18.4 kg/m2. Among the rich non-anemic pregnant women, there were 37.74% who came under the category of overweight having BMI &gt;23kg/m2 and only 3.77% of poor non-anemic women grouped under over weight. The mean+SD of Hb at third trimester of the rich and poor pregnant women was 10.4+1.02 and 9.0+0.02 respectively.

Association among Timing of First Visit, Antenatal Care Frequency, and Anaemia Gravidarum during the Peak Period of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Anaemia gravidarum is a health problem that affects pregnancy outcomes. Antenatal care is an effort to screen high-risk pregnancies to provide earlier appropriate management. In 2021, the pandemic forced people to limit their activities, including antenatal care (ANC) visits. The study aimed to explain the association among the timing of the first visit, ANC frequency, and incidence of anaemia gravidarum. The case-control study used the medical record data from Puskesmas Godean 2. The subjects were 30 pregnant women with anaemia in the case group and 30 non-anaemic pregnant women in the control group. The dependent variable was the incidence of anaemia gravidarum. Other variables included age, occupation, and education of the mother, partner’s education, parity status, pregnancy spacing, nutritional status, and history of comorbidities. The chi-square and logistic regression were used to analyse the data. It was found that ANC frequency of less than four times and first visit (K1) after passing the first trimester of gestational age increased the risk of anaemia gravidarum (p-value &lt;0.05). Efforts to increase awareness of the importance of immediate first ANC visit and frequency of ANC visits need to be made to reduce the risk of anaemia gravidarum.

Frequency of Serum Ferritin Level in Non-Anemic Pregnant Women Presenting at Hospital

Objective: To determine mean serum ferritin level in non-anemic pregnant women presenting at Isra University Hospital during their antenatal visit. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Isra University Hospital Hyderabad. January 2019-Jun 2019 Methods: A total of 78 non-anemic pregnant women with hemoglobin level&gt;11gm/dl during 1st and 3rd trimester and&gt;10.5gm/dl during 2nd trimester (as defined by CDC Criteria for anemia) were included in this study. A detailed history was obtained. All variable information was recorded in predesigned Performa. Results: The average age of women was 30.15±3.36 years. Mean serum ferritin level in non-anemic pregnant women was 13.05±5.088 nm/dl. Out of 78 cases 43(55.1%) of non-anemic female were found to have Iron deficiency state on the basis of serum ferritin estimates ≤12 ng/ml. Conclusion: In pregnancy, plasma volume, erythropoesis, and fetoplacental unit demand rise, causing iron defficiency. All pregnant women should be tested for iron status. Proper ID surveillance among pregnant women ensures accurate recording, assessment, and introduction of serum ferritin test early in the first trimester with the first ANC visit to catch afflicted pregnant. Keywords: serum ferritin, Non-anemic pregnant women, Iron deficiency anemia

Importance of Maternal Iron Status on the Improvement of Cognitive Function in Children After Prenatal Iron Supplementation

The effectiveness of prenatal iron supplementation improves maternal hematological outcomes, but little research has focused on child outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess whether prenatal iron supplementation adjusted to maternal needs improves children's cognitive functioning. The analyses included a subsample of nonanemic pregnant women recruited in early pregnancy and their children aged 4 years (n=295). Data were collected between 2013 and 2017 in Tarragona (Spain). On the basis of hemoglobin levels before the 12th gestational week, women receive different iron doses: 80 vs 40 mg/d if hemoglobin is 110-130 g/L and 20 vs 40 mg/d if hemoglobin >130 g/L. Children's cognitive functioning was assessed using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-IV and Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment-II tests. The analyses were carried out in 2022 after the completion of the study. Multivariate regression models were performed for assessing the association between different doses of prenatal iron supplementation and children's cognitive functioning. Taking 80 mg/d of iron was positively associated with all the scales of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-IV and Neuropsychological Assessment-II when mothers had initial serum ferritin <15 µg/L, but it was negatively associated with Verbal Comprehension Index, Working Memory Index, Processing Speed Index, and Vocabulary Acquisition Index from Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-IV and verbal fluency index from Neuropsychological Assessment-II when mothers showed initial serum ferritin >65 µg/L. In the other group, taking 20 mg/d of iron was positively associated with Working Memory Index, Intelligence Quotient, verbal fluency, and emotion recognition indices when women had initial serum ferritin >65 µg/L. Prenatal iron supplementation adjusted to the maternal hemoglobin levels and baseline iron stores improves cognitive functioning in children aged 4 years.

Maternal factors associated with iron deficiency without anaemia in early pregnancy: ECLIPSES study

Several population-specific genetic, sociodemographic, and maternal lifestyle factors are related to iron status in early pregnancy, and their identification would allow preventive actions to be taken. The study aimed to identify maternal factors associated with iron deficiency (ID) in early pregnancy in non-anaemic pregnant women from a European Mediterranean country. Cross-sectional study using the initial population of the ECLIPSES study performed in non-anaemic pregnant women before gestational week 12. Serum ferritin (SF) and haemoglobin concentrations were measured to evaluate iron status, and ID was defined as SF < 15 µg/L. Several sociodemographic and lifestyle data were recorded and used as covariates in the multivariate-adjusted regression models. Out of the 791 participants, 13.9% had ID in early pregnancy. Underweight (OR 3.70, 95%CI 1.22, 15.53) and parity (1 child: OR 2.03, 95%CI 1.06, 3.88; ≥ 2 children: OR 6.96, 95%CI 3.09, 15.69) increased the odds of ID, while a high intake of total meat (≥ 108.57 g/day: OR 0.37, 95%CI 0.15, 0.87), red/processed meat (≥ 74.29 g/day: OR 0.70, 95%CI 0.35, 0.98), protein (≥ 65.05 g/day: OR 0.85, 95%CI 0.30, 0.99), and dietary iron (≥ 8.58 mg/day: OR 0.58, 95%CI 0.35, 0.94) protected against it. Smoking was also associated with a reduction in ID odds (OR 0.34, 95%CI 0.12, 0.99). Baseline BMI, parity, smoking, and diet are associated with ID in early pregnancy in non-anaemic women. Pregnancy planning policies should focus on women at higher risk of ID, such as those who are underweight, multiparous, or following vegetarian diets. This clinical trial was registered at www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu as EudraCT number 2012–005,480-28 and at www.clinicaltrials.gov with identification number NCT03196882.