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MATERNAL ANAEMIA AND FETAL BIRTHWEIGHT
Author(s) -
Harrison K. A.,
Ibeziako P. A.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1973.tb11221.x
Subject(s) - haemolysis , medicine , pregnancy , fetus , obstetrics , anemia , malaria , fetal growth , immunology , biology , genetics
Summary The pattern of fetal birthweight distribution was examined in singleton babies bora to several groups of pregnant Nigerian women: 43 of them were anaemic throughout pregnancy and also at delivery; 142 had been successfully treated for anaemia during pregnancy; 35 had sickle‐cell anaemia; and 65 served as healthy controls. The causes of anaemia were haemolysis from malaria, folate deficiency and haemoglobinopathies. When other factors known to reduce fetal birthweight were excluded, it was found that maternal anaemia (haematocrit less than 30 per cent) was itself associated with retardation of fetal growth and that this was most marked in the presence of sickle‐cell anaemia. If, at the end of pregnancy, maternal anaemia still remained uncorrected, then a 2 per cent drop in maternal haematocrit reduced fetal birthweight by about 100 g.