Features of pregnancy and delivery in women with iron deficiency anemia

Aim. To study the features of the course of pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period in patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) with and without the use of iron supplements. Design. Retrospective case-control study. Materials and methods. A clinical and statistical analysis of exchange charts and birth histories of women was carried out at the clinical sites of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology with the course of perinatology of the Medical Institute of the Patrice Lumumba People's Friendship University of Russia. Pregnant women with IDA (n = 80) were divided into two groups: the 1st (n = 30) included patients who did not take iron supplements, the 2nd (n = 50) included women who received iron supplements after the diagnosis of IDA. Anthropometric, anamnestic, clinical and laboratory data of patients, features of the course of pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period were studied. Results. In patients of the 2nd group at the time of detection of IDA, lower levels of hemoglobin, erythrocytes and hematocrit were detected. However, against the background of timely initiation of iron supplementation, women in this group showed statistically significantly better indicators compared to patients who refused to take anti-anemic therapy: lower levels of blood loss during childbirth (p < 0.05), lower odds of hypotonic bleeding (odds ratio (OR) = 4.246; 95% confidence interval (CI) — 1.370–13.155) and obstetric perineal trauma (OR = 4.529; 95% CI — 1.707–12.018), Conclusion. The course of pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period in patients with IDA depends on timely treatment. Prescribing iron supplements for IDA in pregnant women helps reduce the frequency of threatened premature births, reduce the risks of pathological blood loss, uterine hypotension during childbirth and in the early postpartum period, as well as obstetric perineal trauma. The elasticity of tissues, in particular the perineum, in women with IDA after the use of iron supplements and normalization of hemoglobin levels corresponds to normal parameters, in contrast to postpartum women who did not receive iron supplements. Key words: iron deficiency anemia, pregnancy, childbirth, complications.