©Pregnancy bliss 2008

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Without remedial action, the degree of anemia continues to worsen with advancing pregnancy. The fetus will continue to extract all its required quantities from an already deficient mother and the Hb spiral downwards can only accelerate.

 

Type of diet unfavorable for supplying dietary iron

Vegetarians are at a particular disadvantage in this regard. This is simply because they don't get the so-called "heme" iron which is found in meat and other animal products only.

 

"Heme" iron is much more easily absorbed and actually promotes absorption of non-heme iron as well from the gut.

 

Vegans are therefore at a double disadvantage in this regard. They don't get to eat products with heme iron and the iron they get from plant products is not so efficiently absorbed.

 

Advice for vegetarians regarding prevention of anemia

As far as preventing iron-deficiency anemia is concerned, the advice to take oral iron supplements is especially relevant for vegetarians. This can be done even before there is detectable iron deficiency.

 

Consequences of iron deficiency

With the fall in hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, the capacity to carry oxygen is reduced. This is not the only problem, though.

 

Iron is crucial in the production of a variety of critical enzymes in the body. The production of these will be affected, too. As a result, various body systems may be affected. These may include the brain and nerves, muscles, the gut and the skin.

 

There is reduced exercise tolerance and even the common chores that you may be used to doing without a second thought become increasingly hard to cope with. There is general and almost constant lethargy and fatigue.

 

Direct effect of iron deficiency on pregnancy

There is fairly strong evidence that iron deficiency can lead to preterm labor.

 

Effect of iron deficiency on labor

Iron deficiency has no direct effect on labor as such. However, a woman who is anemic when going into labor will tolerate any blood loss badly. Blood loss is an inevitable occurrence at delivery.

 

Normally, a mother can take blood loss of up to 1000 ml (one liter) in her stride. A markedly anemic woman may find this to be a tall order and in extreme cases, it could create a life-and­-death crisis.

 

There is also evidence, though not very strong, that iron­ deficient women are more prone to heavy bleeding at delivery (postpartum hemorrhage), the very complication they are ill-equipped to deal with.

 

Anemia in pregnancy does also rob the affected women of options that, like everybody else, they might be interested in. Options like a home birth or, where available, delivery at maternity homes and cottage hospitals.

 

With anemia, these will no longer be options because of the potential risks, which such places cannot cope with.

 

Iron-deficiency effect on the baby

Iron deficiency in the mother will affect the baby also. When maternal iron stores are depleted, the levels of iron in the fetus will also end up being lower than normal, for obvious reasons. It follows that these babies will be more prone to develop anemia within the first year of life.

Other collateral effects  of iron deficiency include the child's increased susceptibility to infections.

 

 

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