Anemia In Pregnancy
Anemia in pregnancy is a frequent complication in women during pregnancy. According to statistics, about 95% of pregnant women are affected by this situation.
Anemia is caused by a decrease in iron below normal levels. Iron is essential in the process of making hemoglobin. This is a protein present in red blood cells that has the function of transporting oxygen to other cells.
What Happens During Pregnancy?
At the time of pregnancy, the woman has a 50% increase in blood in her body compared to usual. This fact means that the presence of iron in the blood must be greater, in order to produce more hemoglobin for that added blood.
How to recognize anemia in pregnancy?
One of the main symptoms of anemia in pregnancy is fatigue. Another common is tachycardia. Paleness and fatigue are also noted in women. This happens because there are fewer red blood cells to transport oxygen and the heart must work harder. This is stated by a study published in the Obstetrical & Gynecological Survey.
But it must be taken into account that there are asymptomatic anemias, especially when they are mild. For this reason, gynecologists order blood tests during the first prenatal visit. In this way, it is possible to reliably detect a possible case of anemia. In addition, anemia does not only develop in early pregnancy, so more blood tests should be done throughout the pregnancy.
Causes
Anemia during pregnancy is most often caused by a lack of iron in the blood. However, it is not the only reason. The absence of folic acid intake is another influencing factor.
The same happens with the lack of vitamin B12. In fact, vegan diets have been shown to be a risk factor for this pathology as long as they are not supplemented with the nutrient.
Loss of abundant blood or suffering from sickle cell anemia are also determinants. However, there are cases where the actual anemia is lower than what the tests indicate. This occurs because the presence of other fluids in the blood also increases during pregnancy. This is known as hemodilution. This phenomenon is characterized by the presence of iron and hemoglobin in sufficient quantities, but diluted in other liquids in a higher than normal way.
Treatment
Fortunately, anemia in pregnancy can be treated. Daily iron doses of 30 mg are recommended. This is 30% more than what is ordinarily prescribed.
In order to better absorb iron, it is indicated to do it on an empty stomach. Taking orange juice will help with the iron absorption process thanks to the presence of vitamin C. On the contrary, it is not recommended to ingest iron with milk, as calcium does not facilitate its absorption.
feeding
To prevent anemia in pregnancy, the consumption of foods that have abundant iron is recommended. In this case, red meat is an excellent alternative. In general, almost all types of meats will be very useful. Seafood can also be part of a proper diet in case of anemia in pregnancy.
But not only meats are rich in iron. Also legumes, raisins and potatoes in their skins are a good source of iron. Similarly, dates, apricots and tofu are a good option to include in a diet that wants to raise iron in the body. The same happens with nuts.
Fish is also rich in iron, but it must be consumed with great care. The reason is that fish poisoning can be dangerous for the expectant mother.
It is important to avoid anemia in pregnancy in anticipation of premature delivery. What normally happens is that, in case of iron deficiency, the baby takes it from the mother. In this way the mother can be left with an iron deficiency.
Anemia in pregnancy, a difficult disease to manage
It is necessary to become aware of the need to prevent anemia in pregnancy, otherwise the newborn could also suffer it during childhood . Good nutrition and constant check-ups will avoid any deficiency of iron and any other vital nutrient for the development of the future baby.
