ABSTRACT
Moderate to severe anemia during pregnancy is associated with increased maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Therefore moderate to severe maternal anemia is a high risk group and it is imperative that all cases of anemia should be identified and treated to ensure adequate hemoglobin level before labour. Different countries have shown considerable variations in the prevalence of moderate to severe anemia during pregnancy. To determine the frequency of moderate to severe anemia during pregnancy and its association with socio-demographic and obstetric characteristics. Cross sectional descriptive study. This study was conducted from 1st October 2011 to 31st March 2012, in the obstetrics and gynaecology department of Sir Syed Hospital, a tertiary care hospital in Karachi. Methodology: The patients attending the antenatal OPD between the gestational age of 20 to 41weeks who were moderate to severely anemic [according to WHO criteria based on Hb level] were selected for the study. A self-designed proforma was then utilized to obtain relevant information. This proforma covered sociodemographic as well as patient's obstetric characteristics. The frequency of anemia was found to be 42% [633/1507].Patients with moderate to severe anemia after 20 weeks till 41 weeks were 323. Patients with moderate anemia were 268/323 [83%], while 55/323 [17%] women had severe anemia. Majority of women with moderate anemia were multiparous between 26-32 years of age and presented between 35-41 weeks gestation. Majority of women with severe anemia were primigravidas between 18-25 years and presented in late third trimester. Our study revealed multiparity, illiteracy, poverty and late antenatal booking as the factors responsible for the severity of anemia during pregnancy. Therefore, anemia should be recognized as a serious public health problem. The adverse effects of anemia can be avoided by counseling on birth spacing and early antenatal booking