Anaemia and Pregnancy in Rural India

BackgroundAnaemia is the most frequently observed nutritional diseases in the world. In India, anaemia is the second most common cause of maternal death, accounting for 20% of total maternal deaths. This study aims to determine the prevalence of anaemia and to explore factors associated with anaemia in one rural Indian pregnant population.Method The study was conducted in the Maternity Clinic of Pravara Rural Hospital (PRH), Loni, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India... Only pregnant women who were 12-20 weeks of gestation were eligible for inclusion. Anaemia was classified as per the World Health Organisation (WHO) grading criteria. The diagnosis of anaemia was undertaken using the standard peripheral blood smear examination. Consenting participants were interviewed using a pre- structured, pre-tested questionnaire.ResultsThree hundred and ten subjects were enrolled, of whom 232 (74.8%) were found to be anaemic. The majority (50.9%) demonstrated moderate anaemia while mild and severe anaemia were recorded in 70 (30.17%) and 44 (18.9%) respectively. A highly significant association was found with the mother‘s age, educational and socio-economic status, religion, parity and Body Mass Index (BMI). Other factors such as family structure and size, dietary habits and attainment of menarche were not significantly associated with anaemia.ConclusionVery high prevalence of anaemia (74.8%) early in pregnancy is an indicator of the failure of WHO and national programmes aimed at reducing anaemia in this group. Those pregnant for the first time are at greatest risk of developing anaemia