Anemia during pregnancy is one of the most frequent complications that affects up to 95% of pregnant women. Anemia is a deficiency in the number or quality of red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body using a particular protein called hemoglobin.
The anemia means the level of red blood cells or the level of hemoglobin is lower than normal. Due to insufficient iron, oxygen supply may not adequate for the pregnant women and the baby. Therefore, there are need more iron in order to produce more hemoglobin for all that extra blood that will be delivered to the baby and the placenta.
Anemia is not a disease in itself, but a result of a malfunction somewhere in the body. This blood condition is common, particularly in women.
How to know if the pregnant woman is anemic?
Anemia can cause tiredness and fatigue, as well as paleness and tachycardia. All this is because having fewer red blood cells that can carry oxygen through the blood, the heart must work more by increasing the heart rate. However, it is also possible that the pregnant woman does not have any symptoms, especially if it is a mild anemia.
To get rid of doubts, the gynecologist does a blood test in the first prenatal consultation that allows him to detect a possible anemia. In any case, the most common is that the anemia develops as the pregnancy progresses, so you will do another blood test at the end of the second trimester or at the beginning of the third.
Symptoms of anemia
Usually, there has no symptom found in mild anemia but if anyone suffering from moderate or severe anemia during pregnancy following symptom may occurring:
- Weakness and dizziness
- Difficulty breathing normally
- Brittle nails
- Paleness of the skin, lips and lower part of the eyelids
- Lesions on the edges of the mouth
A mild anemia does not cause complications in pregnancy. We should only worry in case of severe anemia, or moderate and severe long-term anemia or that do not respond to treatment. In these cases, it can be related to delays in growth and an increased risk of intrauterine death and perinatal mortality.
What are the causes?
Lack of iron is the most common cause of anemia during pregnancy, but it is not the only one. Not taking enough folic acid or vitamin B12 in the diet, loss of blood, Disorders of the bone marrow such as cancer or infection, Hormonal disorders such as hypothyroidism, Medications such as antibiotics, anti-inflammatories or anticoagulant medications.
Treatments of Anemia
Luckily, it is easily treatable if detected the anemia during pregnancy. The first thing to consider before this ailment is to drastically change the diet that you may be carrying. You will have to include many more iron-rich-foods to balance the lack of it.
You can try to prevent anemia by these home remedies.
- Red meats
- Fruits with high concentrations of vitamin C
- Vegetables with green leaves
- Vegetables in general
- Integral flour
All these foods have to cook and prepare properly to easily digest. This also prevents any disease during pregnancy such as toxoplasmosis!
If the anemia is very strong, the best possible treatment ends up being to eat food supplements. These same have to be very high in iron, vitamin V12 or folic acid depending on what you need.