Gestational anemia or anemia during pregnancy is one condition that can affect a woman at any time during her pregnancy.
While planning your pregnancy, you need to make sure that your health is at its optimum. This includes your blood count, fitness and management of various lifestyle related ailments. All this will ensure a smooth pregnancy and good health of both the mother and the child growing inside the womb. However, those nine months of pregnancy aren’t predictable, and health complications can arise at any time. Gestational anemia or anemia during pregnancy is one such condition that can affect a woman at any time during her pregnancy.
Here are a few causes that could lead to the same:
Iron deficiency during pregnancy is a common cause of gestational anemia. This happens when the body is unable to produce enough iron to produce adequate hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a protein that is present in the red blood cells. During pregnancy the blood supply in the body almost doubles up to meet the requirements of the mother and that of the growing baby. The hemoglobin in the blood is responsible for nutrient and oxygen exchange between a mother and the baby. It is also responsible for oxygen circulation in the mother to restore health during pregnancy. During pregnancy the iron requirement for a woman increases and one might need around 30 to 38 mg of iron either through dietary sources or by having iron supplements regularly. Here are reasons why you need to be regular with iron medications during pregnancy.
Deficiency of folic acid
Everyone knows the importance of folic acid during pregnancy. It is a type of B vitamin that helps produce new cells including healthy red blood cells. Therefore, during pregnancy a woman needs more folate. It is recommended that women take at least 400 mg of folate during pregnancy to avoid birth defects in babies. Folate or folic acid deficiency can lead to less production of red blood cells that could hamper oxygen and nutrient supply to the fetus and result in severe birth defects like neural tube abnormalities or spina bifida and lead to low birth weight of the baby. This kind of anemia can be easily corrected by taking folic acid pills or through proper diet management. Here are reasons why you need folic acid during pregnancy.
Vitamin B 12 deficiency
Vitamin B 12 is an important vitamin for pregnant women that plays a major role in producing healthy red blood cells. Lack of Vitamin B 12 in the diet could give rise to the gestational anemia that could contribute to birth defects, such as neural tube abnormalities, and lead to preterm labor. Women who don’t eat meat, poultry, dairy products, and eggs have a greater risk of developing vitamin B12 deficiency. Here are other seven diet essentials you should take during pregnancy.
Having twins
Mothers who are carrying twins or triplets need special care to meet the demands of their growing babies. Improper diet and ignorance of medications can lead to various health complications and gestational anemia could be one of them. Women with twins or triplets are always at risk of developing complications during pregnancy.
Improper diet
Gestational anemia as mentioned above could be easily avoided with proper diet management and being regular with medications. Irregularities in diet especially failing to get enough iron, folate and vitamin B 12 could lead to the gestational anemia in women. Know more about the causes, symptoms and treatment of anemia during pregnancy.
Being anemic before conception
If you were anemic or had lower hemoglobin count prior to conception you could be at a risk of developing gestational anemia. Even with adequate hemoglobin count during the start of pregnancy it is possible to suffer from gestational anemia. This happens due to altered body mechanism and the various hormonal changes. It is imperative to check with your doctor about medications and management of anemia during pregnancy, especially if you had suffered from the same before.
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