Anaemia

When a woman gets pregnant, the amount of blood that circulates in her body increases by 50 per cent – most of which is made up of plasma, the liquid that blood cells On the contrary, the most common blood related problem pregnant women face is the opposite – anaemia.

According to anemia.org, two out of every 10 expectant women are likely to be anaemic. More studies show one in ten women are low in iron even before pregnancy. Tough red blood cells increase in pregnancy though they do not increase as much as the plasma, which in turn makes your blood to seem more diluted during your pregnancy.

Haemoglobin, the protein found in red blood cells, transports oxygen in the blood and is essential for keeping us healthy and alive. The most common cause of anaemia is that not enough red blood cells are being made to meet the needs of the baby, and the mother is running low on the required iron and vitamins.

The World Health Organization defines anaemia as haemoglobin of less than 110 but this is not a realistic level on its own for most pregnant women. Hannah Dahlan, an associate professor of midwifery at the University of Western Sydney, goes on to explain that when the supply of red blood cells drops drastically, you get symptoms such as paleness and increased tiredness.

For anaemia to be detected, routine blood tests should be carried out on every pregnant mum – during the first antenatal visit, and then after 28 weeks.

Common causes

The following are most of the common causes of anaemia in expectant mums:

• A diet that is low in iron, folic acid and vitamin B12.
• Vegetarians are at a greater risk of this.
• Pregnancies that are close together.
• Pregnant women carrying twins or more.
• Losing blood as a result of haemorrhoids (piles).

If you are not pregnant yet, or have had a baby and are planning to have another one, ask your doctor to check your blood count. This will enable you to boost your iron stores before embarking on pregnancy.

Women are more likely to suffer from anaemia than men because after each menstrual period women’s iron reserves are drawn on. This is also the case with each pregnancy especially if they are close together.

Fighting anaemia
The best way to prevent anaemia is to make sure you have a balanced diet rich in foods that are high in iron, such as red meat, whole meal bread, eggs, green leafy vegetables and dried fruits. To help your body absorb the maximum amount of iron from your diet, you need vitamin C; this can be obtained from oranges, lemons, limes and raw vegetables.

Treating it
The first important step is to make sure your diet has plenty of foods rich in iron. While iron supplements can be taken, dietary intake of iron must be improved too – as this is the best way to obtain iron.

Birth and after
The greatest physical danger associated with anaemia is the mother’s inability to withstand blood loss during the birth. So, anaemia needs to be detected as early as possible to give you time to build up your iron supplies.

Haemoglobin levels usually return to normal between 5-12 weeks following the birth. If you, however, had a large blood loss or were quite low in iron before the birth, this can take longer.

Breastfeeding can also put more demand on your iron stores. You will need to discuss with your doctor whether you should continue taking iron tablets or indeed start taking them after the birth.

Mums who lose a large amount of blood during the birth (postpartum haemorrhage) are usually given iron tablets to take for several weeks after the birth. Having low haemoglobin can also make mothering much harder and increases the risk of mums feeling depressed.

Important
Ask your doctor about your predisposition to anaemia; make sure you are tested at your First prenatal visit. You also may want to get tested four to six weeks after delivery. Depending on your condition,your doctor may refer you to a haematologist, a doctor who specializes in blood conditions.

END: PG 48 /22