[The importance of time intervals between childbirth and anemia in pregnancy]

Srp Arh Celok Lek. 1996 Nov-Dec;124(11-12):307-10.
[Article in Serbian]

Abstract

During pregnancy some parameters have been studied in order to detect anaemia: amount of erythrocytes, haematocrits, haemoglobin and iron in the serum of 100 women-secundiparae. The greater group of pregnant women (68%) decided for the second pregnancy after two years, while the smaller group (32%) after four years at least. All parameters related to anaemia were present in the groups of shorter time intervals between births. Thus, in the first trimester anaemia was detected in 13.3% of pregnant patients, while only 7.1% in those with a longer interval between deliveries. In the second trimester 33.3% of pregnant women with shorter time intervals suffered from anaemia, and 14.3% of those with a longer interval. The difference is also significant in the third trimester. Namely, 50% of pregnant patients with a shorter interval were anaemic, in comparison to 21.4% of women with a longer interval between deliveries.

Introduction: Anaemia is one of the most frequent illnesses in pregnant patients. The authors found different percentages of its presence in the range from 21 to 80 percent. Sideropenic anaemia is the most common in pregnancy. As Iron is being consumed and lost during delivery, it takes time for its restitution. Therefore Dazabarova advises another childbirth after three years.

Purpose: Pregnancy and delivery exhaust the organism. It takes time for the recovery and a new pregnancy. Therefore, the purpose of this paper was to examine in what way the time-interval may affect anaemia.

Method: This paper covers 100 randomized secondiparae. Laboratory examinations were carried out three times during pregnancy, in each trimester separately. The results are shown on the graph so that the difference and importance of the time-interval between deliveries regarding anaemia in pregnant patients, can be noticed.

Results: Pregnant women with a two-year interval between deliveries showed anaemia to a greater extent during pregnancy (Graph 1). This was confirmed by tests and was statistically significant (chi 2 = 14.275 and p < 0.001). In women with an interval of four years between deliveries, changes in number of erythrocytes were not statistically significant (chi 2 = 1.167 and p > 0.05). Thus, the difference among the analyzed groups was significant in all trimesters of pregnancy. The results of haematocrits are presented in Graph 2. The difference between the results of greater presence of anaemia in women with shorter time-interval between pregnancies may be statistically significant in the first and second trimesters. In the third trimester, however, the difference still existed, although it was not statistically significant. The results of haemoglobin indicating anaemia (Graph 3) were found in a greater number as pregnancy progressed in women with shorter time-interval between deliveries. This was statistically significant (chi 2 = 15.600 and p < 0.001). In women with greater time-interval between deliveries, a slight increase in haemoglobin was detected, indicating anaemia (chi 2 = 5.918 and p < 0.05). Iron concentrations in the serum indicating anaemia (Graph 4) were constantly decreasing during pregnancy (chi 2 = 7.251 and p < 0.01) in patients with shorter intervals between deliveries, whereas in women with greater time-intervals no significant changes were found (chi 2 = 1.838 and p > 0.05). In Graph 5 the prevalence of anaemia is presented according to the examined parameters. Anaemia was greater in a far larger number of women with shorter intervals between deliveries. This difference is at the limit of statistical significance in the first trimester, tending to become statistically highly significant in the second and third trimesters.

Discussion: Frequent pregnancies are one of the causes of anaemia. Namely, they are more often detected in multiparae with shorter time-intervals between deliveries. Our study has confirmed that pregnancy causes haemotopoietic changes (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED).

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Anemia / blood
  • Anemia / etiology*
  • Birth Intervals*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Parity
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic* / blood