Anemia during pregnancy is characterized by a low level of hemoglobin in the blood and a small number of red blood cells, the forms of which can become abnormally altered. Anemia in pregnant women is most often diagnosed by the end of the second trimester. Its detection in the first trimester indicates that the pathology existed before the conception of the child. Iron deficiency anemia is most common in pregnant women. It accounts for 90% of cases. First of all, women in position adjust the diet. In it, one of the most important products should be meat, which contains complete proteins of animal origin. Vegetables and fruits also replenish iron stores. However, the treatment of this disease cannot be dispensed with without medicines.
What is anemia in pregnancy?
This condition is characterized by a decrease in the number of red blood cells - erythrocytes - and hemoglobin. The main function of hemoglobin is to supply the cells of the body with oxygen and release them from carbon dioxide. Atlack of hemoglobin occurs oxygen starvation, called hypoxia. In this case, the lack of oxygen is experienced not only by the expectant mother, but also by the fetus. Its lack can negatively affect the formation of the internal organs of the child. A baby who had hypoxia at the fetal stage often suffers from respiratory diseases at birth, becomes restless, irritable and whiny.
Anemia in pregnant women occurs when there is iron deficiency or poor absorption. During the period of bearing a child, a woman's need for this trace element increases, since it is spent on the development of the fetus and placenta. Anemia can occur due to dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract. A woman consumes enough iron, but it is not absorbed by the body. In this case, you should quickly remove the cause of the disease and restore the normal level of hemoglobin. To control anemia, pregnant women take a blood test once a month. When the hemoglobin content is less than 110 units, and the erythrocytes are less than 3.9, anemia is diagnosed. The doctor prescribes special therapy and an appropriate diet to eliminate iron deficiency.
Types of anemia
Anemia in pregnancy is a pathological condition that occurs due to a drop in hemoglobin levels. As a result, the number of red blood cells, for the formation of which iron is needed, decreases. To increase the accumulation of red blood cells, the cause of this symptom is first identified. Anemia, depending on the causes, are divided into the following types:
- Posthemorrhagic. They are divided into chronic and acute. Formed as a result of blood loss.
- Megaloblastic, iron deficiency, sideroblastic, aplastic, and anemias of chronic disease. They occur when there is a violation of the formation of red blood cells or the construction of hemoglobin.
- Hemolytic. Caused by increased destruction of hemoglobin or red blood cells.
For all types of anemia, palpitations and general weakness are the main symptoms. In each case, the doctor determines the type and causes of anemia during pregnancy in order to properly conduct a course of treatment.
General symptoms
Signs of anemia largely depend on the rate of development of the disease. With the rapid course of the process, the female body does not have time to compensate for the level of iron from its reserves, so the clinical manifestations are pronounced. If it is slow, the symptoms are less pronounced. In any case, with anemia in pregnant women appears:
- General weakness and fatigue. These are the very first signs of the disease. They are caused by a lack of oxygen in the muscles, organs and tissues.
- Shortness of breath. Due to the lack of oxygen in the blood, the work of the respiratory center is activated. This leads to an increase in the frequency and depth of breathing. Due to this, the cells are saturated with oxygen. Shortness of breath is also facilitated by the growth of the fetus, which presses on the diaphragm.
- Rapid heartbeat. The reason for this is the same hypoxemia. A rapid heartbeat forces the blood to move faster so that it, enriched with oxygen, deliversits tissues, and carbon dioxide was removed from the cells.
- Pale skin. The pink color of the skin and mucous membranes is provided by red blood cells containing red hemoglobin. With anemia, their amount in the blood decreases, so the skin color turns pale. In addition, with the disease, a spasm of blood vessels is possible, which also makes the dermis pale.
- Frequent dizziness. The lack of oxygen poorly supplies the sensitive nervous tissue of the brain, so dizziness appears when changing the position of the body, and then in a calm state. There may also be tinnitus, darker eyes, loss of consciousness, headaches.
Prevention
Anemia during pregnancy confirms that the female body consumes an increased amount of its own reserves of iron and red blood cells for the development and growth of the fetus.
Some parents, when planning a pregnancy, are interested in how dangerous anemia is for the unborn child. This is a very correct approach, since you need to start taking care of your baby's he alth even before he is born. If necessary, future mothers undergo a course of therapy with vitamins and increase the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood. Prevention of anemia in pregnant women must necessarily take place. It is very important to pay attention to the nutrition of a pregnant woman. Meat must be included in her diet.
It is it that supplies iron to the mother's body. Vegetarians are recommended to change during pregnancy and feeding the babyyour diet. Eating plenty of vegetables, fruits and pomegranate juice is also a great anemia prevention. In addition, doctors often prescribe iron supplements. For effective prevention of anemia, the daily dose of folic acid is 250 mcg, and iron - 60 mg. Before using them, it is necessary to consult your doctor. He will prescribe a blood test, and based on the results, he will select the right complex of vitamins and a regimen.
Diagnosis of anemia in pregnant women
Watching her condition, a pregnant woman can independently determine the presence of anemia. In this state, there is:
- General weakness and fatigue.
- Dizziness attacks, fainting.
- Weakness in the muscles, frequent shortness of breath during or without exertion.
If you notice these symptoms, you should consult a doctor. On the basis of a blood test, the doctor will accurately diagnose and determine the type of anemia during pregnancy, as well as the severity that will be with the readings of the hemoglobin level (g / l):
- 90–110 – easy.
- 70–90 – average.
- 70 or less is severe.
Treatment of the disease during pregnancy should be carried out comprehensively. To do this, you will have to review your diet and take regular medicines prescribed by your doctor.
Diet for pregnant women with low hemoglobin
Nutrition for anemia should replenish those elements, the lack of which causes this disease. In the diet of a pregnant woman with an iron deficiency,present proteins and foods that help reduce the amount of fat in the body. Carbohydrates should be consumed per day no more than 0.5 kg. It is necessary to ensure that the food contains useful trace elements (necessarily iron) and vitamins. Here are the most useful foods during pregnancy:
- Liver (veal and pork).
- Meat (veal, beef, turkey).
- Egg yolk.
- Stale bread.
- Spinach.
- Apricots.
- Lentils (extraordinarily rich in iron).
- Almonds.
- Pomegranate juice.
With poor appetite, a pregnant woman diagnosed with anemia should eat soups (meat, fish and vegetable), add sauces allowed by the diet to the main dishes. A sample menu for a pregnant woman with signs of anemia for a day might look like this:
Breakfast:
- Boiled fish or meat.
- Vegetables or vegetable puree.
- Porridge - buckwheat, oatmeal, rice.
- Soft-boiled eggs.
- Vegetable pudding.
- Butter and honey sandwich.
Second breakfast:
- Fried fish.
- Carrots or beets.
- Cabbage stew.
- Tomatoes.
- Combined vegetables.
- Cheese.
- Milk.
- Rosehip (decoction).
Lunch:
- Various soups.
- Boiled meat.
- Liver or heart.
- Pure.
- Porridge.
- Cottage cheese.
- Vegetables.
- Compote.
- Jelly.
- Fruits.
Snack:
- Berries.
- Fresh fruits.
Dinner:
- Fish dishes.
- Meat.
- Cottage cheese.
- Vegetable stew.
- Puddings.
- Cheese.
Before bedtime:
Any dairy product
The diet of pregnant women with anemia has no particular contraindications. The exceptions are mushrooms, caviar, seafood, citrus fruits, chocolate, raspberries, strawberries.
Oral iron preparations
Lack of iron in the blood causes iron deficiency anemia. Expectant mothers often suffer from this particular form of anemia. All iron supplements for pregnant women are divided into:
- Ionic - ferrous iron with s alts, rapidly absorbed, used in tablets, capsules or in liquid form.
- Non-ionic - ferric iron containing proteins and sugar. Less digestible, injected.
For therapy, it is preferable to use ferrous iron. It dissolves perfectly and quickly gets into meek. The dosage is calculated individually for each patient, but according to general recommendations, an adult should consume 2 mg of iron per kilogram of body weight. With a competent approach to the treatment of anemia in pregnant women, after a few days of taking the drugs, the state of he alth improves. Within a week, laboratory blood tests show positive changes in the results of the analysis. With regular intake of iron-containing medicines for 2-3 months, the growth of hemoglobin becomes stable. Despite this, the drug should be continuedtake to create a supply of trace elements. In this case, the attending physician will adjust the dose of the drug according to the results of the tests.
Features of taking iron-containing drugs
When treating anemia in pregnant women with iron supplements, the following side effects may occur:
- Nausea and vomiting independent of food consumed.
- Loss of appetite, sometimes manifested by complete aversion to food.
- A metallic taste in the mouth.
- Intestinal disorder: diarrhea or constipation.
- Gray coating on tooth enamel. The drug in liquid form should be drunk through a straw and rinsed after taking the mouth.
Iron preparations taken orally are contraindicated in the following cases:
- Previously had blood cancer;
- For aplastic and hemolytic anemia.
- At the same time as the mandatory intake of tetracycline drugs or antacids.
- In chronic inflammatory processes in the kidneys and liver.
- With foods high in calcium, caffeine and fiber.
Iron preparations can be used, but under the supervision of a doctor, if a woman is diagnosed with:
- Ulcerative colitis.
- Ulcerative lesions of the stomach and duodenum.
- Enteritis.
International classification
In Russia, the document of the tenth revision of ICD-10 was introduced into the practice of the he althcare system in 1999 and is valid throughout its entireterritory. This standard serves to systematize and analyze data on mortality and morbidity. With the help of MBC, all diagnoses, illnesses and he alth-related problems have a specific code consisting of letters and numbers. Such information is convenient to store and analyze. For example, for anemia in pregnant women, the ICD-10 code is 099.0. This disease belongs to the XV class.
Features of vitamins that include iron
For the prevention of anemia in pregnant women, iron preparations are divided into:
- Single component - contains only iron s alts.
- Multicomponent - in addition to iron s alts, contains trace elements and acids that facilitate absorption.
Medicines containing iron can be fast-acting or long-acting. The second type is more preferable, since in this case the concentration of the microelement increases gradually and persists for a long time. These drugs are more gentle for pregnant women. They do not often cause adverse reactions (nausea, vomiting, indigestion). For prevention, doctors often recommend the following iron supplements for anemia in pregnancy:
- "Hemofer" is a tableted, inexpensive drug, which is not inferior to expensive drugs in terms of efficiency.
- "Totem" - available as a solution, contains iron, manganese, copper, rapidly absorbed.
- "Sorbifer Durules" - contains ferrous sulfate and ascorbic acid, is available in tablets. When taken, it is washed down with water, used in the second and third trimester. It should not be taken with other drugs andfoods high in calcium. The dosage is set by the doctor, after passing the tests.
- "Ferlatum" - does not contain toxic substances, does not cause constipation, has a pleasant berry taste, increases the iron content in pregnant women with anemia in a short time. Available in solution.
- "M altofer Fall" - contains iron and vitamin B9, improves hematopoiesis, synthesizes amino acids. Chewable tablets do not stain tooth enamel.
Before using medicines, you should consult your doctor.
Conclusion
Anemia of pregnant women according to ICD-10 has code 099.0 and is a dangerous disease for women. In this case, not only the well-being of the woman in labor worsens, but spontaneous miscarriage or various fetal malformations may also occur. As a result of the disease, there is a decrease in the concentration of hemoglobin, a decrease in the level of red blood cells and their modified forms. All this leads to oxygen starvation of both the mother and the child. Childbirth in a woman proceeds with numerous complications and large blood loss. Oxygen starvation leads to serious problems in fetal growth retardation. To prevent such problems, timely and proper treatment of anemia is necessary.
