Anemia in pregnancy

Anemia is a condition in which blood has a lower-than-normal amount of red blood cells or hemoglobin.[1] Anemia in pregnancy is a decrease in the total red blood cells (RBCs) or hemoglobin in the blood during pregnancy. Anemia is an extremely common condition in pregnancy world-wide, conferring a number of health risks to mother and child.[2] While anemia in pregnancy may be pathologic, in normal pregnancies, the increase in RBC mass is smaller than the increase in plasma volume, leading to a mild decrease in hemoglobin concentration referred to as physiologic (or dilutional) anemia.[3] Maternal signs and symptoms are usually non-specific, but can include: fatigue, pallor, dyspnea, palpitations, and dizziness.[4] There are numerous well-known maternal consequences of anemia including: maternal cardiovascular strain, reduced physical and mental performance, reduced peripartum blood reserves, increased risk for peripartum blood product transfusion, and increased risk for maternal mortality.[5]

  1. ^ "Anemia | NHLBI, NIH". www.nhlbi.nih.gov. Retrieved 2020-10-29.
  2. ^ Pavord, Sue; Myers, Bethan; Robinson, Susan; Allard, Shubha; Strong, Jane; Oppenheimer, Christina; British Committee for Standards in Haematology (March 2012). "UK guidelines on the management of iron deficiency in pregnancy". British Journal of Haematology. 156 (5): 588–600. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2141.2011.09012.x. ISSN 1365-2141. PMID 22512001. S2CID 12588512.
  3. ^ American College of Obstetricians Gynecologists' Committee on Practice Bulletins—Obstetrics (August 2021). "Anemia in Pregnancy: ACOG Practice Bulletin, Number 233". Obstetrics & Gynecology. 138 (2): e55–e64. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000004477. ISSN 0029-7844. PMID 34293770. S2CID 236198933.
  4. ^ "Home | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)". www.nhlbi.nih.gov. Retrieved 2018-07-25.
  5. ^ Breymann, Christian (October 2015). "Iron Deficiency Anemia in Pregnancy". Seminars in Hematology. 52 (4): 339–347. doi:10.1053/j.seminhematol.2015.07.003. ISSN 1532-8686. PMID 26404445.