ABSTRACT
Introduction: Anaemia in pregnancy is common with a prevalence of 25.11% in Malta in 2016 according to WHO statistics. According to British Society of Haematology (2019) anaemia is defined as a Haemoglobin (Hb) of less than 11.0g/dL in the first trimester of pregnancy and less than 10.5g/dL during second and third trimesters. The objective of this study was to establish the prevalence of anaemia in pregnant patients at Mater Dei Hospital. It aimed to determine whether screening for anaemia at 28 weeks’ gestation was performed, as recommended by NICE. Furthermore, the study assessed whether the COVID-19 pandemic had any impact on screening for anaemia in pregnancy. Methodology: All mothers who delivered at Mater Dei Hospital during the months of July to September 2019 and July to August 2020 were reviewed. Data was obtained by accessing manual birth registers and the online clinical manager system. Information collected included date of delivery, maternal demographics, Haemoglobin results and, gestational age at the time of blood testing. Results: A total of 1758 patients were included. 4.66% of patients were anaemic at booking (anaemia defined as a Hb <10.5g/dL) while 35.6% of patients were anaemic at delivery. 9.3% of patients in the 2019 cohort had a re-screening Hb taken between 27 to 29 weeks of pregnancy. While 10% of patients in the 2020 group had re-screening performed. Conclusion: We have determined that screening of anaemia at 28 weeks’ gestation is not a common practice at Mater Dei Hospital. There was no statistically significant difference between re-screening performed before the COVID-19 pandemic and during, therefore proving that the lack of re-screening in 2020 was not related to a pandemic issue but rather a lack of re-screening culture at Mater Dei Hospital. Implementation of a local protocol based on these guidelines is required and in turn a re-evaluation to assess for improved outcomes.