Anemia in pregnancy is common. Treatment is important
for you and your baby. Being anemic makes you feel
tired easily and even may experience dizziness as
well. There is a fine balance between the production
of blood cells and the destruction of these cells.
Blood cells carry oxygen to the various parts of the
body; anemia is a situation where there is a low count
of blood cells. During pregnancy both the blood cells
and plasma (the liquid part of the blood) increases
but the latter increases more. Your doctor keeps a
tab on such readings with a hematocrit reading which
measures the percentage of blood. With that your hemoglobin
level is tested as well; hemoglobin is the protein
component of red blood cells. If you are anemic your
hematocrit is lower than 37 and hemoglobin lower than
12. Blood loss is inevitable during delivery; being
anemic means you are at higher risk of needing a blood
transfusion after birth of baby. Your doctor will
advise you on diet and supplements if you found anemic.
Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common type in
pregnancy. Your baby depends on your iron store for
iron supply. If you have this condition, your red
blood cells will deplete faster as baby will require
the cells for its own build up and your body does
not enough iron to produce red blood cells. Most prenatal
vitamins have iron in them but there are supplements
too. If for some reason you are not able to digest
vitamins, the alternative will be to rely on ferrous
sulphate. Iron is very vital in all pregnancies. Unfortunately
despite supplements and vitamins some women still
face iron deficiency. The reasons include:
• Bleeding during pregnancy
• Multiple fetuses
• Poor diet
• Overuse of antacid which causes a fall in
iron absorption
• Previous surgery in the stomach or part of
the small bowel (making sufficient iron absorption
difficult before pregnancy)
The goal is to increase iron consumption so it must
be taken on a daily basis. Side effects of iron supplements
include nausea and vomiting with upset stomach. If
this occurs you may to switch to a lower dose. These
supplements are also constipating. If you cannot take
the supplements orally, your diet has to change to
include iron-rich foods such as liver or spinach;
check with your doctor on dietary issues. Sickle-cell
anemia is common in dark skinned and women of Mediterranean
or African descent. This version of anemia happens
because the bone marrow is not able to replenish blood
cells fast enough when they are destroyed; furthermore
the cells produced are abnormal, causing severe pain
as they get blocked in the blood vessels and cannot
flow. You may possess the trait without having the
disease itself and you could pass the trait or the
disease to your child. Inform your doctor of any family
history of the disease. Sickle-cell anemia is detectable
through a blood test; it can be diagnosed in the fetus
through amniocentesis or CVS. Women with this type
of anemia are more likely to have pyelonephritis and
bacteria in their urine.
A woman with this disorder may suffer bouts of pain
(sickle crisis) throughout her life; pain in the abdomen
or limbs caused by the blockage of cells happens repeatedly.
These episodes can be severe enough to require hospitalization.
Risks a pregnant woman with this disease are painful
sickle crisis, infections and congestive heart failure;
risks to the fetus include a high incidence of miscarriage
and stillbirth. On a more positive note, even though
the risks are high, many sickle-cell anemia patients
have successful pregnancies. Thalassemia is again
not a very common version of anemia. It afflicts people
of Mediterranean origin. It is characterized by underproduction
of protein that makes up the red blood cells. If you
have a family history or you yourself have thalassemia,
discuss it with your doctor.
