Iron Deficiency Anemia during Pregnancy in the Lower North of Thailand- Prevalence and Associated Factors

This study was to evaluate the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia and the associated factors of anemia during pregnancy in the lower north of Thailand. A prospective study was conducted in pregnant women who attended the antenatal care clinic at Naresuan University hospital, Phitsanulok, from May 2008 May 2010. All subjects were from the lower northern region of Thailand. A complete blood count and serum ferritin was performed in every case. Anemia during pregnancy was defined according to World Health Organization criterion as the hemoglobin less than 11 g/dL. Iron deficiency anemia was the anemia with a serum ferritin of less than 15 g/L. Four hundred and one pregnant women were recruited for the study. Teenage pregnancy was 27%. The gestational age at the first visit ranged from 5 to 38 weeks and the iron supplement was found in 30% of cases. Anemia was found in 70 cases (17.5%). Twenty-four cases (6.0% of 401) had iron deficiency anemia but 61 cases were at the stage of iron deficient erythropoiesis without anemia. Associated factor for iron deficiency anemia was gestational age. This study confirmed a high prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency anemia. High proportion of pregnancies with iron deficient erythropoiesis was warranted.