J Hematol Mult Myeloma | Volume 3, Issue 1 | Research Article | Open Access
R. S. Balgir*
Department of Biochemistry, National Institute for Research in Tribal Health (Indian Council of Medical Research), Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India
*Correspondance to: R. S. Balgir
Fulltext PDFEvery individual has the liberty and right to make choice about sexual and reproductive health. When a couple decides to have a child, the woman must have access to services for a viable and fit pregnancy, safe delivery and, safe and healthy baby. Parents must have enough resources to look after themselves and to support survival of their family. Anemia in pregnancy is one of the causes of maternal morbidity and, maternal and fetal mortality in India. Hemoglobin transports oxygen to different parts of the body. Any defect in hemoglobin structure leads to its adverse functions. Screening of pregnant women for hemoglobinopathies helps in early intervention for reducing morbidity and mortality. Although the prevalence of hemoglobinopathies especially of the sickle cell disorders is high in Madhya Pradesh but any study on pregnant women is lacking. This study had set the objectives to find the prevalence of anemia and hemoglobin disorders in pregnant women, and to determine the health status through hematological indices profile in central India. Hospital based a cross-sectional study showed 14.8% prevalence of hemoglobinopathies among 527 pregnant women, the sickle cell trait being 9.1%, followed by sickle cell disease (3%), β-thalassemia trait (2.3%), and hemoglobin E trait (0.4%). About 85% of the pregnant women/mothers were found free of hemoglobinopathies. Of the 12.1% pregnant women were suffering from sickle cell disorders. However, the overall 56.4% anemia was observed in pregnant women, severe anemia ranging in between 8.3% to 62.5%. A comparison of hematological indices of pregnant women afflicted with and without sickle cell disorders have revealed much reduced hemoglobin level, RBC count, MCV, HCT, and MCH; and raised leukocytosis and fetal haemoglobin in sickle cell disorder cases than among the normal pregnant women. Further, due to faulty reproductive health practices as well as neglect of reproductive and child health care facilities available to pregnant women/mothers, the pooled mothers with hemoglobinopathies in this study showed statistically significant higher number of stillbirths (p<0.01), infant mortality (p<0.05), childhood mortality (p<0.02) and less surviving offspring (p<0.001) than in the normal controls. A more vigorous and realistic campaign of prophylactic regime of supplementations for these pregnant women and child health care has been suggested.
Prevalence; Hemoglobinopathies; Pregnant women/mothers; Reproductive health; Hemolytic anemia; Hematological indices; Madhya Pradesh; Central India
Balgir RS. Hematological Profile of Hemoglobinopathies in Maternal Health and Reproductive Outcome in Pregnant Mothers at a Tertiary Hospital in Central India. J Hematol Mult Myeloma. 2018;3(1):1012.