Correlation between Neonatal Outcomes and Maternal Anemia among Attending Pregnant Women in Al-Elwiya Maternity Teaching Hospital

BACKGROUND: Anemia in pregnancy can considerably elevate the maternal mortality risk and can negatively distress the development of fetus. OBJECT OF THE CURRENT WORK: To assess the association between neonatal outcomes and maternal anemia (MA) among pregnant women (PW). SUBJECTS AND METHODOLOGY: The present work is a clinical prospective one performed at Al-Elwiya Maternity Teaching Hospital in Baghdad from January 1, 2022 to June 30, 2022. Current study selected 120 term PW with anemia admitted to hospital for caesarian section. Data were collected as a questionnaire. The data were directly taken from PW. The acquired data from anemic PW were distributed as followings: Age of anemic PW, which was classified into two groups; 25–29 years and 30–35 years. The gestational age of anemic PW, which was categorized into three groups; 37(th) week, 38(th) week, and 39(th) week of gestation. Anemia characteristics were studied, which included hemoglobin level (Hb) and packed cell volume test (PCV), which were done by taking 5 ml blood from each PW for s. ferritin, s.iron, Hb level, and blood film in laboratory of Al-Elwiya Maternity Teaching Hospital. The Hb helped in detecting anemic PW joined this study, as Hb was <10.5 g/dl at third trimester. RESULTS: Mean gestational age (GA) of anemic PW was 37.5 ± 0.5 weeks; 58.3% of them were at 37(th) week, 39.2% of them were at 38(th) week, and 2.5% of them were at 39(th) week GA. So, the mean Hb of anemic PW was 8.6 ± 1.3 mg/dl, and the mean PCV was 28.6 ± 3.6%. Anemia was classified into mild (20%) and moderate (72.5%); also, mean ultrasound fetal head circumference (HC) among PW with mild anemia was 32.3 cm and for PW with moderate anemia was 32.1 cm, and mean ultrasound fetal abdominal circumference (AC) for PW with mild anemia was 31.3 cm and with moderate anemia was 31 cm, and validity results of MCA/UA-PI ratio regarding severe anemia of anemic were as follows: sensitivity (81.8%), specificity (79.8%), +ve predictive value (29%), −ve predictive value (97.8%), and accuracy (80%). CONCLUSION: The gestational mean age (GA) of anaemic PW was 37.50.5 weeks; 58.3% of them were in the 37(th) week and 39.2% were in the 38(th) week. Thus, the mean ultrasound foetal head circumference (HC) was 32.3 cm for PW with mild anemia and 32.1 cm for those with moderate anaemia. The mean ultrasound foetal abdominal circumference (AC) was 31.3 cm for those with mild anaemia and 31 cm for those with moderate anaemia, but 30 cm for those with severe anaemia, with no discernible difference. The following were the MCA/UA-PI ratio’s validity findings for severe anaemia of anaemic: sensitivity (81.8%) and specificity (79.8%).