International Journal of Medical and Health Research

Methodology: All pregnant women visiting at Ob. Gynac OPD in Index Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre from 1 June 2015 to 31 December 2015 were studied by recording predesigned & structured history of pregnant women with total hemoglobin concentration. Haemoglobin estimation was done by Sahli’s method & anaemia was graded according to WHO criteria and statistical analyses were done.

Result: Percentage of anemia was 82.9 with more prevalence of moderate anemia in 2nd & 3rd trimester. Epidemiological determinants studied, predominantly severity of anaemia was seen in 26 years of age, from nuclear families, educated upto secondary level, having vegetarian diet, parity two or more & those in third trimester with two or more abortions, although statistically not significant. However, anaemia prevalence was significantly higher among those subjects from below Class IV socioeconomic status, those with less than two years of spacing between previous and index pregnancies & with less than two months IFA tablet consumption.

Conclusion: A very high prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy needs mandatory regular supply of IFA tablets to adolescent and pregnant women from 4th month onwards till 3-6 months post-partum along with correction of other nutritional deficiencies and timely intervention for reducing the burden of related diseases.