December 2013 Vol. 1 No. 2

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Full Length Research Paper

Iron deficiency anaemia in pregnancy and the new born child
 

Sana E. Abdalla¹* Enaam A. Abdelgader¹ Tayseer A. Diab² Ilham M. Omer³ and Anwar A. Kordofani⁴
 

¹AL-Neelain University, Faculty of Medicine, Khartoum, Sudan. Pathology department
²AL-Neelain University, Faculty of Medicine, Khartoum Sudan. Obstetrics and gynecology department.
³Khartoum University, Faculty of Medicine, Khartoum Sudan. Pediatrics department.
⁴Khartoum University, Faculty of Medicine, Khartoum Sudan pathology department.

*Corresponding Author's E-mail: sanaseed@hotmail.com; Tel 00249912359969; Fax 00249 183 797002

Accepted December 02, 2013
 

Abstract

Iron is an important element for all living cells and plays an important role in many metabolic pathways. Iron deficiency is by far the most common causes of anaemia in general and microcytic anaemia in particular. Iron deficiency anaemia develops as the end result of a series of steps that begin by depletion of iron stores. Pregnant women and infants are recognized as the groups most vulnerable to iron deficiency anaemia. The aims of this study were to measure Hb, RBCs indices, serum iron, serum ferritin and total iron binding capacity in mothers and their newborns at the time of delivery. Eighty blood samples were collected from pregnant ladies during the first stage of labour and after delivery cord blood samples were taken from the babies. Complete blood count was measure using automatic blood counter (Sysmex Kx-21), Serum iron and total iron binding capacity (TIBC) were measured by an automatic instrument (BTS- 370 Plus), and Serum Ferritin was estimated by ELIZA technique. Results showed that eight mothers had low Hb level and their haematological indices as follows: 4 (50%) had normal MCV and 4 (50%) had low MCV, 4 (50%) had normal MCH, while 4 (50%) had low MCH, 6 (75%) had normal MCHC, while 2 (25%) had low MCHC. Two (25%) had normal S. ferritin, while 6 (75%) had low serum ferritin, 5 (62.5%) had normal serum iron, while 3(37.5%) had low serum iron. 4(50%) had normal TIBC, while 4(50%) had low TIBC. New born Hb showed 18 (22.5%) babies had low Hb level (< 14 g/dl). All of the anaemic babies had normal MCV, MCH and MCHC. One (5.6%) baby showed low serum ferritin while 16 (88.9%) showed normal level and one baby (5.6%) showed high level of serum ferritin. 13 (72%) babies showed normal serum iron while 5 (27.8%) showed high serum iron. All anaemic babies showed normal TIBC. Babies born to anaemic mothers showed normal Hb, blood indices and normal serum iron while 3 (37.5%) showed low serum ferritin and one (12.5%) showed high TIBC. This study concluded that Anaemia in the mother does not affect the newborn and anaemia in the babies born to non - anaemic mothers is not uncommon. Low serum ferritin in mother significantly affects the baby's iron stores.

Keywords: Serum iron, iron stores, pregnancy, newborn.