Be aware of the risk of premature birth due to anemia during pregnancy

All pregnant women are at risk of developing anemia. Because during pregnancy, the need for iron in your body will increase many times, to support the growth of the fetus in the womb. When a pregnant woman suffers from anemia, there is a risk of the birth of a premature baby later in life.

Why is that? Anemia can make him feel tired and weak, to cause a variety of risks of serious complications, such as premature birth. When experiencing anemia, blood in the body of a pregnant woman, does not have enough healthy red blood cells, to carry oxygen to all body tissues and the womb.

Basically, mild anemia in pregnant women is a normal condition. However, if anemia is more severe due to low iron or vitamin levels, it is certain that the pregnant woman needs special care and attention. The following are reviews that you need to know about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of anemia during pregnancy.

Type of Anemia in Pregnant Women
A pregnant woman is declared anemic, if her hemoglobin is less than 11mg / L. Several types of anemia can occur during pregnancy, including:

Anemia due to iron deficiency
Anemia due to folate deficiency
Anemia due to vitamin B12 deficiency

Causes of Anemia in Pregnant Women

1. Anemia Due to Iron Deficiency

This type of anemia occurs when the body does not have enough iron to produce the amount of hemoglobin the mother and fetus need. Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that is responsible for carrying oxygen from the lungs throughout the body. As a result, blood cannot carry enough oxygen to tissues throughout the mother's body including the uterus.

Pregnant women are advised to take at least 90 iron pills during pregnancy. This iron can be obtained in the form of multivitamins which are sold freely.

2. Anemia Due to Folate Deficiency

Folate is a vitamin found naturally in certain foods such as green leafy vegetables. As one of the B vitamins, the body needs folate to produce new cells, including healthy red blood cells. During pregnancy, pregnant women will need extra folate.

But sometimes, they do not get enough from the daily food intake consumed. When that happens, the body cannot produce normal red blood cells to carry oxygen to tissues throughout the body. Folate deficiency can directly contribute to certain birth defects, such as neural tube abnormalities (spina bifida) and low birth weight.

3. Anemia Due to Vitamin B12 Deficiency

The body needs vitamin B12 to form healthy red blood cells. When a pregnant woman does not get enough vitamin B12 from her daily diet, her body cannot produce healthy red blood cells.

Women who do not eat meat, poultry, dairy products, and eggs have a greater risk of experiencing vitamin B12 deficiency. In pregnant women, this condition can cause birth defects, such as neural tube abnormalities and can cause preterm labor.

Risk Factors for Anemia in Pregnant Women
All pregnant women are at risk of developing anemia. That's because during pregnancy, a woman will need more iron and folic acid than usual. But the risk will be higher if:

Pregnant twins
Proximity of pregnancy
Lots of vomiting due to morning sickness
Too young when you are pregnant
Lack of intake of iron-rich foods
Having anemia before getting pregnant

Symptoms of Anemia in Pregnant Women
The most common symptoms of anemia during pregnancy are:

Pale skin, lips and nails
Feeling tired or weak
Dizzy
Hard to breathe
Fast heartbeat
Difficulty concentrating

In the early stages of anemia, you may not detect any obvious symptoms. This often occurs due to symptoms that appear are already usually you feel since before pregnancy. So be sure to have regular blood tests to check for anemia on your obstetrician.

Risk of Anemia in Pregnancy

Anemia due to heavy iron deficiency without special care and treatment during pregnancy can increase your risk of experiencing:

Premature babies or babies with low birth weight
Blood transfusion (if you lose a lot of blood during labor)
Postpartum depression
Infants with anemia
A child with developmental delay

Untreated folate deficiency can increase your risk of having:

Premature babies or low birth weight babies
Babies with serious birth defects in the spine or brain (tube defects
nerve)
Lack of untreated Vitamin B12 can also increase your risk of having a baby with a neural tube defect.

Treatment for Anemia

If you have anemia during pregnancy, the first thing you can do is take iron supplements and / or folic acid supplements. Doctor may Routine blood tests to check for anemia at your obstetrician.

Risk of anemia during pregnancy

Anemia due to severe iron deficiency without special care and care during pregnancy can increase the risk of developing:

Premature babies or low birth weight
Blood transfusion (if you lose a lot of blood during labor)
Postpartum depression
Infants with anemia
A child with developmental delay

Untreated folate deficiency can increase your risk of experiencing:

Premature babies or low birth weight
Infants with severe congenital abnormalities in the spine or brain (tube disorders)
nerve)
Lack of untreated vitamin B12 can also increase the risk of having a baby with a neural tube defect.

Anemia treatment

If you have anemia during pregnancy, the first thing to do is take iron supplements and / or folic acid supplements. Your doctor may also recommend adding more foods that are rich in iron and folic acid to meet your body's nutritional needs and content.

In addition, you will also be asked to carry out a series of blood tests over a period of time until the doctor estimates that your hemoglobin and hematocrit levels in your blood are improving.

Your doctor may also advise you to consume more food that comes from animals, such as:

Meat
egg
Dairy products

Your obstetrician can refer you to a hematologist, a doctor who specializes in anemia or blood problems. This specialist can monitor the status of pregnancy and defeat your anemia.