Prevalence of anemia in pregnant women at booking visit in India

• Author Details:   
• Madhu Priya Natarajan
• Bijesh Yadav
• Ruby Jose

---

Introduction: Based on the WHO stratification, anemia, in India is taken as a disease of severe public health importance. Anemia combines with hypertension and sepsis forming the deadly triad, leading up to 80% of maternal deaths in India. Knowledge of the prevalence and some sociodemographic factors associated with anemia, as the present study has done, will help to formulate strategies for this public health problem of medium importance.
Material and Methods: An observational study done in the Christian Medical College and Hospital, recruited 600 consecutive, eligible, pregnant women at their first antenatal visit after informed consent. Blood sample was taken for hemoglobin estimation, socio demographic and obstetric risk factors were collected. The prevalence of anemia in pregnant women at the booking visit was calculated and this was correlated with risk factors for its occurrence.
Results: Overall prevalence of anemia was 23.16% (95% CI: 20%-27%) with mean (SD) hemoglobin level of 11.7 (1.9). Working women had 2.64 (95% CI: 1.05 – 6.73, p= 0.04), women who booked in the second trimester had 3.84 (95% CI: 2.06 – 7.17) and women who had fewer (<=2) antenatal visits, had 3.28 (95% CI: 1.73 – 6.22, p<0.001) higher odds of presenting with anemia.
Conclusion: Prevalence of anemia at booking visit was 23.16%. Working women, women who booked during the second trimester and those who had fewer visits were at significant risk for presenting with anemia.

Keywords: Anemia prevalence, Tertiary hospital, Booking visit trimester, Working women, Gestation, Antenatal Checkup