Effect of Maternal Hemoglobin on Gestational Age of Newly Born Babies in Baqubah City

Background: Maternal hemoglobin during pregnancy is well established to be contributors to affect gestational age of newly born babies. Anemia is one of most prevalent nutritional deficiency problem afflicting pregnant women in both developed and developing country. Objective: To study the relationship between maternal hemoglobin during pregnancy and gestational age of newly born babies. Patients and Method: This is a cross- sectional study included 200 pregnant women collected from Al- Batool Teaching Hospital for Maternity and Children, Baqubah city, Diyala, Iraq, during the period between 1st of January 2014 to 1st of April 2014 delivered at hospital. One hundred sixteen delivered by vaginal delivery, and eighty four were delivered by caesarian section. Result: Total number of cases 200 mother with their new born baby which delivered at hospital hemoglobin of mother to anemic mother classified as severe anemia 4 (2.0%), moderate anemia 19 (9.5%) and mild anemia 60 (30.0%) while normal mother hemoglobin 117 (58.5%). full term baby 157 (78.5%), preterm baby 38 (19.0%) and abortion 5 (2.5%). Correlation between maternal hemoglobin and gestational age was in term baby with normal hemoglobin 99 (63.1%) while anemic 58 (36.9%), in preterm baby with normal hemoglobin 15 (39.5%) while anemic 23 (60.5%) and in abortion with normal hemoglobin 3 (60%) while anemic 2 (40%) which is statistically significant p-value = (0.03). Conclusion: Low maternal hemoglobin levels are associated with increased risk of preterm delivery