Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Anemia during pregnancy is a significant public health issue globally, especially in developing nations. In India, the prevalence from 33.0% to 89.0%. According to the National Family Health Survey-5, anemia is frequent in all age group and is especially high among pregnant women-at 54.3%. In India, among the causes of maternal deaths anemia is the second leading cause. It contributes significantly to maternal, fetal, and neonatal mortality and morbidity. Therefore, the study evaluates the prevalence and cause of nutritional anemia in pregnancy using biochemical parameter (serum B12, ferritin, folic acid) in North East India and associated socio-demographic factors affecting the prevalence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross sectional study in a tertiary care hospital was carried out in 315 antenatal patients in the department of obstetrics and gynecology, NEIGRIHMS, Meghalaya, India from November 2022 to April 2024. The subjects were included by randomized sampling. Pregnant women were interviewed followed by clinical examination. The demographic profile of the women taken are-age, booked/unbooked status, residence, religion, family size, dietary history, history of iron-folic acid intake, occupation of the women, educational level and occupation of the mother, socioeconomic status. Socio economic classification was done using modified kuppuswamy scale. World Health Organization classification was used to classify anemia. Further serum biochemical marker (serum vitamin B12, folic, ferritin) was send for all anemic patients. Chi-square test was used. RESULTS: The prevalence of anemia was found to be 40.9% which has decreased as compared to NHFS (2019-2020) that is 45%. It was observed the prevalence of anemic women with ferritin, vitamin B12, folic acid was 43.41%, 39.7% and 20.9%, respectively. The demographic factors like age, parity, visit, interpregnancy period, residence, iron-folic acid intake, religion, occupation of mother, education of the mother, socioeconomic status, intake of green leafy vegetables were found to have significant association. CONCLUSIONS: Generally, in anemia patients the etiology of anemia is diagnosed by doing peripheral blood smear and accordingly diagnosing if its iron deficiency anemia or vitamin B12/folic acid deficiency anemia. In resource poor areas it may be suitable. We would also like to recommend in tertiary health care facilities biochemical markers of anemia such as ferritin, vitamin B12, folic acid should be provided at a subsidized rate. This will enable the accurate diagnosis of type of nutritional anemia and targeted treatment with iron, vitamin B12, folic acid or combined treatment can be provided to anemic mother with the goal of having a healthy mother and baby.