Iron deficiency anemia and associated factors among pregnant women in a tertiary care hospital, in Sargodha District, Pakistan

Purpose: To evaluate iron deficiency anemia and other concomitant risk factors among pregnant women in a tertiary care hospital in Sargodha District of Pakistan. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study on pregnant women over a six-month period from December 2016, was conducted in the gynaecology and obstetrics department of the District Headquarters Hospital, Sargodha, Pakistan. All women with renal failure, heart disease and surgical history were excluded from the study, while all pregnant women visiting the out-patient department (OPD) were included in the investigation. Blood sampling and analysis were performed, following standard laboratory operating procedures to determine the haemoglobin (Hb) levels of the patients. Results: Fifty pregnant women were enrolled in this study. They had a mean age of 27.85 +/- 4.99 years with a range of 20 - 46 years. Almost half, i.e., 26 (52 %), were aged 20 - 30 years; 18 (36 %) 31 - 40 years and six (12 %) > 40 years of age. Regarding occupational status, 45 (90 %) of the respondents were housewives. In total, 86 % of the women were anemic, while the remaining 14 % were non-anemic and had an Hb level slightly > 11 g/dL. Among the anemic women, 13 (26 %) had mild anemia, 33 (66 %) moderate anemia, and 4 (8 %) were severely anemic. Conclusion: Iron deficiency and anemia have major health impacts on pregnant women. Steps should be taken during ante-natal care to monitor Hb levels in pregnant women and apply appropriate remedy where necessary. Other biomarkers and related risk factors such as total iron binding capacity (TIBC) and total blood count (TBC) have previously been found to be linked to anemia.