Month: June 2015

anemia-in-pregnancy

Anaemia in Pregnancy

Iron is an essential mineral that has many uses in our body. One of the most important one is that it forms part of the haemoglobin (which in turn forms red blood cells) which carry oxygen to our cells. Anaemia is a deficiency in haemoglobin, which can be due to a number of reasons, one of which is caused by low iron. Iron deficiency anaemia is very common in pregnancy. Your body has to make almost 50% more blood while you’re pregnant to circulate through the placenta and around the body, and therefore your iron requirements also increase. Anaemia doesn’t always cause symptoms but can leave you feeling tired, breathless, weak, and dizzy. It is diagnosed via a blood test checking your haemoglobin level (less than 110g/l is considered low). In the UK, this is normally done at your first consultation, at 28 weeks, and repeated at 36 weeks if it was low at the last sample. Studies have shown that anaemia increases the risk of preterm birth and low birth weight babies, as well …