The prevalence of undiagnosed thalassemia minor among primigravida pregnant women before 20 weeks of gestation

Pregnancy-associated anemia is a widespread condition that can have varying impacts on both the mother and the developing fetus, depending on the level of hemoglobin in the mother’s blood and the stage of pregnancy at which the anemia occurs. In Iraq, 27% of all registered thalassemia cases are thalassemia minor. Pregnancy may aggravate mild undiagnosed thalassemia early in pregnancy. The objective of the study was to access the prevalence of undetected thalassemia minor in primigravida women who received prenatal care before 20 weeks and to compare the demographic and socioeconomic characteristic features between women with iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) and those without any anemia. A total of 298 primigravida women who attended prenatal care at 20 weeks or less were recruited and their hematocrit level was assessed. Participants were segregated into two groups regarding the presence of anemia. Patients who had packed cell volume lower than 33% underwent iron study and standard Hb electrophoresis. Information about women’s demographics, socioeconomic status, and family history of hereditary anemia were recorded. The participants had a mean age of 22.7 years, with an age range spanning from 16 to 43 years. 33.33% of 298 women had pathological anemia. All the participants exhibited microcytic anemia, with 26.85%, had confirmed IDA, whereas 6.71% had β thalassemia minor (BTM) phenotype. Both BTM and IDA patients frequently reported a positive family history of anemia at 80% and 68.7%, respectively, which was significantly greater than the control group at 39.9% (P = 0.001). No significant differences were seen between BTM and IDA in terms of age or socioeconomic status. Anemia due to undetected thalassemia minor was common among primigravida women. Screening for BTM carriers pregnant can help in monitoring their status, assessing the fetus’s risk of developing thalassemia, and making a diagnosis in communities with high rates of consanguineous marriages, such as Iraq.