[Anemia and iron deficiency in 490 Mexican pregnant women].

OBJECTIVE

To explore correlations of sociobiological variables with levels of blood hemoglobin (HB) in 490 pregnant women.

SETTING

Women attending private practice and two public hospitals in the city of Leon, State of Guanajuato (1800 m above sea level).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Demographic, obstetric, nutritional and socioeconomic data were obtained together with an EDTA-blood sample for CBC, and serum for metabolite assays. The women had a mean gestation of 25 weeks (range 4-40) and 65% were multiparous with a mean parity of 2.1. By Mexican standards they had fairly high social, nutritional and intergenesic lapse. Associations were explored by step-wise multiple ANOVA.

RESULTS

On the basis of HB < 12 g/dL (equivalent aprox to 11 at sea level), 37% of the women were considered anemic. The MANOVA (excluding iron deficiency) showed associations of HB with gestation (p < 0.001) and parity (p = 0.024). Iron deficiency was present in 76% of the anemics (136/180) and 31% of the non-anemics (97/310). Folate and vitamin B12 assays in women with anemia and no iron deficiency showed folate or B12 deficiency in only 33% (14/43) leaving 29 cases with anemia of unknown etiology.

CONCLUSIONS

1. Gestation age was the factor most strongly associated to anemia and iron deficiency in our sample. 2. Anemia and iron deficiency were seen in 37% (N = 180) and 48% (N = 233) of the women respectively. 3. Of the 180 anemic women, 76% (N = 136) were iron deficient but only 14/43 anemic without iron deficiency were folate or B12 deficient leaving 6% (29/490) with anemia of unknown etiology. 4. The prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency were high in our population in spite of its fairly good sociodemographic and nutritional conditions.