A Seminar On Anemia in Pregnant Woman
CHAPTER ONE
Objectives of the study
The general objective of this is to assess the management of anemia among pregnant women attending antenatal care. Specifically, the study seeks to;
- Determine the factors that predispose to anaemia in pregnancy amongst pregnant women attending antenatal care.
- Assess the strategies used by the pregnant women for the prevention and management of anaemia.
- Determine the challenges encountered in the management of Anaemia among pregnant women.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Conceptual Review
Concept of Anaemia
Anemia is a frequent companion to pregnancy due to the relatively larger plasma volume expansion compared to red blood cells. Proper transport of oxygen from the maternal blood to fetal circulation is essential during childbirth to give birth to a viable baby and also saludable. Maternal morbidity is also affected by the degree of anemia that occurs during pregnancy. Therefore, anemia may precede conception, which is often aggravated by pregnancy, and occupational accidents may sustain it (Lawson J. and Steward D., 2014). Therefore, it is an important public health issue that requires the most attention, as pregnancy and childbirth around the world are daily events and, in particular, we need to lower our high maternal mortality rate.
The word anemia connotes a deficiency in the number of red blood cells or hemoglobin content that results in a diminished ability to transport oxygen from the blood, causing unusual fatigue that generates pallor, respiratory distress and lack of energy. Anemia can be relative or absolute. Relative anemia occurs during pregnancy (Bolton F., Street M. and Pace A., 2013). Absolute anemia implies a true decrease in the mass of red blood cells. The cells are produced in the bone marrow and have a life expectancy of approximately four months (120 days) (Bolton et al., 2013). The body needs iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid to produce red blood cells. Absence of one or more of these ingredients causes anemia.
Red blood cells are the circulating cells in the blood plasma, which give the blood its red color. Through its pumping action, the heart drives blood through the arteries through the body. Red cells absorb oxygen into the lungs and transport it to all body cells. The cells use oxygen to drive the burning of sugars and fats that produce the body’s energy. In this process called oxidation, carbon dioxide is produced as a waste product. It binds to red blood cells that have released their oxygen load. Carbon dioxide is then transported back to the lungs by the blood in the veins, where it is exchanged by breathing for fresh oxygen (Bolton et al., 2013).
The recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) is that anemia occurs in pregnancy when the value of the mass of hemoglobin (Hb) circulating in the peripheral blood circulating 11 g/dl (PCV 33%) or less but in developing countries it is generally accepted That anemia is present when the concentration of Hb is less than 10 g/dl or hematocrit (PCV) less than 30% (Akin Agboola 2013). Anemia ranges from mild to severe to moderate and WHO estimates hemoglobin levels for each of these degrees of anemia in pregnancy to be between 9.0 and 10.9 g/dl as mild anemia; 7-8.9 g/dl as moderate anemia and <7.0 g/dl as severe anemia (WHO, 2012).
CHAPTER THREE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Conclusion
This study shows that anemia in pregnancy is still a significant problem whereby more than a third of the women attending antenatal care were found to be anemic. Iron deficiency anemia is the commonest etiologic type. Late antenatal booking was clearly associated with high prevalence of anemia in pregnancy.
Measures to improve and demonstrate maternal and child health (MCH) effectiveness through built-in evaluation procedures should thus go hand-in-hand with a drive to increase awareness of the need for iron supplements. Such an increased awareness will lead to an increased demand.
Ultimately, adherence with iron therapy at the user level is affected by interactions between policy, service system and user factors. As already mentioned, lack of awareness of the prevalence, health impact and economic cost of anaemia, and the efficacy of iron supplementation at all three levels (health policy makers, health care providers and among vulnerable groups within communities) are all significant problems.
References
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- Akin Agboola (2013). Textbook of Obstetrics and Gynaecology for medical Students. pg 77-78.
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