Anaemic women run 9 times more risk during pregnancy: Expert

Visakhapatnam, Nov 18 (UNI) A severely anaemic woman faces nine times more risk to life during pregnancy than those with normal haemoglobin levels, former Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Society of India (FOGSI) President Behram Ankelesaria said.

Inaugurating the two-day 41st Annual Conference and Continuous Medical Education (CME) Programme, 2007, yesterday organised by Visakhapatnam Obstetric and Gynaecological Society (VOGS), he said a pregnant woman must be checked for iron deficiency before pregnancy or the condition would worsen with every advancing month. The mother would be at risk and may die, he added.

Twenty per cent of the maternal deaths were due to anaemia, he said.

The VOGS had started supplying iron tabalets to schools girls to improve their haemoglobin count, a programme taken up in March as part of the 12X12 initiative by the FOGSI to ensure healthy blood levels in girls reaching puberty.

Sixth standard girls were being administered iron tablets throughout the year untill their haemoglobin count touched 12 grams by the time they reached 12-years of age, explained VOGS President and O&G Head of the Department in King George Hospital B S Krishnamma, who presided over the function.

The CME also aimed at developing communication skills for better doctor-patient relationship, which would be co-ordinated by FOGSI Vice-President elect Suchitra N Pandit.

UNI