Iron Deficiency Anemia

Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia in pregnancy.All pregnant women should be screened for anemia during pregnancy.Hemoglobin <11g/dl is the cutoff for anemia.

Causes are

● Insufficient dietary intake

● Frequent pregnancies

● Short inter pregnancy interval

● Hookworm infestation

● Heavy menstrual bleeding

Symptoms are

● Fatigue

● Giddiness

● Palpitation

● Headache

● Shortness of breath

Treatment

● Iron rich foods like green leafy vegetables,sprouts,meat,liver

● Iron supplementation

● Blood transfusion(severe anemia)