Anemia During Pregnancy

Iron deficiency Iron Deficiency Iron deficiency is a common cause of anemia, a condition in which the number of red blood cells is low. Iron deficiency usually results from loss of blood in adults (including bleeding from... read more is the cause of anemia during pregnancy in about 95% of cases. Iron deficiency anemia is usually caused by

Women normally and regularly lose iron every month during menstruation. The amount of iron lost during menstruation is about the same as the amount women normally consume each month. Thus, women cannot store much iron.

To make red blood cells in the fetus, pregnant women need twice as much iron as usual. As a result, iron deficiency commonly develops, and anemia Iron Deficiency Anemia Iron deficiency anemia results from low or depleted stores of iron, which is needed to produce red blood cells. Excessive bleeding is the most common cause. People may be weak, short of breath... read more often results.

Folate (folic acid) deficiency Folate Deficiency Folate deficiency is common. Because the body stores only a small amount of folate, a diet lacking in folate leads to a deficiency within a few months. Not eating enough raw leafy vegetables... read more may also cause anemia during pregnancy. If folate is deficient, the risk of having a baby with a birth defect of the brain or spinal cord (neural tube defect Neural Tube Defects and Spina Bifida Neural tube defects are a certain type of birth defect of the brain, spine, and/or spinal cord. Neural tube defects can result in nerve damage, learning disabilities, paralysis, and death. The... read more ), such as spina bifida, is increased.

Blood tests can confirm the diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia or folate deficiency anemia.

Anemia can usually be prevented or treated by taking iron and folate supplements during pregnancy. If a pregnant woman has iron deficiency, the newborn is usually given iron supplements. Taking folate supplements before becoming pregnant and during pregnancy reduces the risk of the baby having a neural tube defect.

In addition to causing symptoms of anemia, sickle cell disease Sickle Cell Disease Sickle cell disease is an inherited genetic abnormality of hemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying protein found in red blood cells) characterized by sickle (crescent)-shaped red blood cells and chronic... read more increases the risk of the following during pregnancy:

A sudden, severe attack of pain, called sickle cell crisis, may occur during pregnancy as at any other time. The more severe that sickle cell disease is before pregnancy, the higher the risk of health problems for pregnant women and the fetus, and the higher the risk of death for the fetus during pregnancy. Sickle cell anemia almost always worsens as pregnancy progresses.

If given regular blood transfusions, women with sickle cell disease are less likely to have sickle cell crises, but they become more likely to reject the transfused blood. This condition, called alloimmunization, can be life threatening. Also, transfusions to pregnant women do not reduce risks for the fetus. Thus, transfusions are used only if one of the following occurs:

If a sickle cell crisis occurs, women are treated as they would be if they were not pregnant. They are hospitalized and given fluids intravenously, oxygen, and drugs to relieve pain. If the anemia is severe, they are given a blood transfusion.