Anemia rate in pregnant women in some communes of Quynh Phu district, Thai Binh province in 2012

Abstract

Anemia in women, especially pregnant women manifests significant issues of public health in Viet Nam. Objective: to determine the rate of anemia in pregnant women with 13-24 weeks of gestation. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 143 pregnant women (PW). Results: The mean Hb value (g/l) by gestational age group was the highest at 13-16 weeks of pregnancy (120.1 ± 9.6), statistically significant (p < 0.05) compared with those having 17-20 weeks of gestation (115.7 ± 8.2) and weeks 21-24 (114.7 ± 8.9). Anemia prevalence in PW with 13-24 weeks of gestation was 27.3 %. Women with 13-16 weeks of gestation had the lowest rate of anemia (25%) while for those who had from 21-24 weeks of gestation, anemia prevalence was 28.8%. The prevalence of anemia was high for the first pregnancy (33.3%), and from the 3rd pregnancy was 22.2%. The prevalence of anemia in women who used iron tablets was 23.4%, significantly lower as compared to those having no iron tablets (anemia rate was 52.6 %, p < 0,05). Conclusion: The prevalence of anemia in pregnant women with 13-24 weeks of gestation was 27.3%, with medium level of public health significant issues. The prevalence of anemia decreased with the number of pregnancies. Subjects who used iron tablets had lower anemia prevalence than non-users of iron tablets. There is a need to propagate the causes of anemia, and regular iron supplementation needed for PW before pregnancy to prevent anemia.