Anaemia in pregnancy: Causes and Symptoms

How does anaemia affect a woman during her pregnancy?

Anemia is a medical condition in which a mother does not get enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to the body’s tissues. When the tissues don’t get enough oxygen, it affects a lot of organ’s functions. Anaemia in pregnancy conditions is likely to be more dangerous because it results in low baby weight, premature birth of the baby, and the death of the mother.

Women who are pregnant are more likely to get anaemia because their bodies make more blood to help the baby get the nutrients it needs. When detected early, anaemia during pregnancy can be a mild condition that is easy to treat. But if it isn’t treated, it can become dangerous for both the mother and the baby.

Types of Anemia in Pregnancy

 A few sorts of Anemias can arise during pregnancy. These include:

• An iron deficiency anaemia.
• Folate-deficiency anaemia.
• Vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia.

Pregnancy-related anemia causes

Multiple types of anaemia are possible during pregnancy. Depending on the type, the cause is different.

1. Anemia from being pregnant.

The blood volume increases during pregnancy. To create more red blood cells, more iron and vitamins are needed. Anaemia can develop from a deficiency of iron. Unless the red blood cell count is very low, it is not abnormal.

2. Iron deficiency:

When there isn’t enough iron in the body to make enough haemoglobin, the body gets weak. This is a type of protein that can be found in red platelets. It carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. When there isn’t enough iron in the body, the blood can’t get enough oxygen to give it to all the tissues. Anaemia during pregnancy is usually caused by not getting enough iron. because iron is needed by your body to make red blood cells.

3. Folate-inadequacy sickness:

Folate is usually found in foods like green vegetables. It is needed by the body to make new cells, such as platelets. Folate is particularly important for pregnant women. Even though they eat a lot, they don’t always get enough from what they do. Our bodies can’t make enough of normal red blood cells, also called red blood platelets. It is called a “folic corrosive” because it is used to boost the effectiveness of folate. Most cases of anaemia are caused by pregnant women who don’t get enough folate.

4. Vitamin B12 inadequacy:

It is important for making protein and red blood cells. Vitamin B-12 deficiency can be avoided by eating food that comes from animals, like milk, eggs, meat, and poultry. Vegan women are most likely to not get enough vitamin B-12 because they don’t eat any foods that come from animals. During pregnancy, strict vegans often need to get B-12 shots.

Read more – Different Sources of Vitamin B12 Foods

Symptoms of anemia during pregnancy?

Unless your cell counts are low, you may not have severe signs of anaemia during pregnancy. Possible symptoms include:

• Fatigue
• Skin and mucous membranes get pale
• Tachycardia
• Trouble breathing
• Skin that is pale or yellow
• An irregular heartbeat
• Dizziness
• Chest pains
• Hands and feet feel cold
• Headache
• Vertigo
• Concentration troubles

Early stages of anaemia often show no symptoms. Even if you aren’t anaemic, you still might experience many of these symptoms throughout pregnancy. Therefore, you must receive regular blood tests to check for anaemia

Treatment of anemia during pregnancy

If you have anaemia during your pregnancy, you may need to take iron and/or folic acid supplements in addition to your prenatal vitamins. The doctor might also recommend anaemia medication like the Orofer XT Tablet, Folinext Tablet, and Cheri Syrup and he/she will also suggest eating more iron and folic acid-rich foods.

Also, your doctor will ask you to come back for another blood test after a certain amount of time to see if your haemoglobin and hematocrit levels are getting better. If you don’t have enough vitamin B12, your doctor may tell you to take a vitamin B12 supplement.

The doctor may also recommend that you eat more foods from animals, like:

• Meat
• Eggs
• Dairy items

To avoid getting sick while pregnant, make sure you get enough iron. Add more food types that are high in iron to your meal plan. Focus on no less than three servings every day of iron-rich food sources, for example,

• Consume red meat, poultry, and fish
• Leafy, dim green vegetables (like spinach, broccoli, and kale)
• Iron-improved cereals and grains
• Beans, lentils, and tofu
• Nuts and seeds
• Eggs

Food sources that are high in nutrient C can assist your body with retaining iron these include:

• Citrus products
• Strawberries
• Kiwis
• Tomatoes
• Bell peppers

Read more – Benefits of Vitamin C for Your Skin

Try to eat these kinds of foods together with iron-rich foods. If you have anaemia during pregnancy, make sure to do what your doctor tells you and take a pre-birth supplement with enough iron and folic acid. You should talk to a doctor about whether or not they should take a vitamin B12 supplement. 

If you are facing anemia during pregnancy and it doesn’t get overcome due to diet you are following therefore, consult the physician. He/ she will recommend an iron deficiency medication or any other supplement to treat the condition. After consulting with your doctor, you may also refer to our Truemeds Physicians, which provides free online consultations. You can purchase the required medications for anemia or supplement by using our online Truemeds portal.

We provide you with home medicine delivery, a discount offer, and monthly savings on your medical bill. Our online pharmacy, Truemeds, provides the highest-quality medications at the lowest prices. We provide all varieties of medications, including branded, over-the-counter, and nutritional supplements, as well as Generic medicines online at an affordable price. We are India’s most reliable and genuine online medicines supplier. When you select an alternative or generic drug that is advised by our Truemeds expert doctors, you may be able to save additional money when you make your order for prescriptions online. Truemeds provides necessary medicines savings of up to 72% off costs with PAN India home delivery.