A STUDY ON ROUTINE ESTIMATION OF HAEMOGLOBIN IN IMMEDIATE POST PARTUM PERIOD

Abstract

Abstract

Background: Postpartum anemia is an underappreciated maternal morbidity with a high prevalence. Anaemic women who are pregnant have an increased risk of premature delivery, a low-birth weight infant, and postpartum depression, and are more likely to have anaemia in the postpartum period which can continue and affect haemoglobin levels in a subsequent pregnancy.

Methods: This study included 500 postnatal women who gave birth at Saveetha Medical College and Hospital during the data collection period. Haemoglobin measurements of blood samples from post-partum women were performed by using hematologic analyzer by an experience laboratory technical staff at the study sites. The analysis was performed immediately after the samples were collected. The value was recorded and disclosed to each participant. Participants who had haemoglobin levels of less than 11g/dl were considered anemic.

Result: Among 298 women with anaemia 19% were having mild anaemia, 25.6% were moderate and 15% were observed with severe anaemia. The mean Hb level was 10.86 g/dl. Comparing the risk factors between anaemic and non-anaemic women, antenatal anaemia (p=<0.0001), PPH (p=0.05) and iron intake antenatally (p=<0.0001) were the significant risk factors which was reason for the postnatal anaemia in pregnancy women in our study.

Conclusion: The high prevalence of post-partum anemia found in this study highlights the importance of screening and treating prepartum anemia as well as provision of education on ideal child spacing which may constitute an important approach for reducing the prevalence of anemia.