RESULTS
In the present study, 4031 women delivered in study period compared to
6659 in control period. Of these (3010/4031)
74.7% and (3446/6659) 51.6% were
anaemic in study and control groups respectively. (p < .001).
The overall prevalence of severe anemia was (51/4031) 1.27 % and
(77/6659) 1.16% respectively amongst all deliveries in the study and
control groups respectively (p value =0.616). (Table 1).
In the present study a total of 51 case records from study group and 77
case records from control group were analysed. Table no 2 shows the
comparison between the epidemiological details including mean age of the
pregnant women, their antenatal registration status, inter-conception
period, mean gestational age at delivery and antenatal prophylactic iron
supplementation.
Table no 3 describes the clinical
presentation at the time of admission in the study and control groups.
Majority of women were
asymptomatic in both the groups at the time of admission. Of the
symptomatic women breathlessness was the commonest symptom in both the
groups. There was no difference in the clinical presentation in both the
groups.
All patients received blood transfusion in both the groups in view of
severe anemia whereas 5.9% and 2.6% in study and control groups
received platelet transfusion. Parenteral iron was administered to 9.8%
patients in study group compared to none in control group whereas
parenteral Vit B12 was given to 19.6% and 26.8% patients in the study
and control groups respectively.
The vaginal delivery rates were higher among control group (83.1%) as
compared to study group (76.5%) however the difference was
statistically not significant.
Mean hemoglobin level was significantly lower in study group than the
control group. Microcytic hypochromic anemia was the most common
morphological type of anemia in both study and control groups. Serum
ferritin, serum iron, serum B12
and folic acid levels among study group were significantly
(p<0.05) lower as compared to control group .
The
odds ratio of maternal death in study group
was 6.46 (95%CI: 0.70-59.63) as
compared to control group. The odds ratio of maternal complications was
such as abruption 2.34 (95%CI: 0.37-14.54), postpartum haemorrhage 2.65
(95% CI: 0.99-7.04) and ICU admission 3.29 (95% CI: 0.78-13.80) in
study group compared to control group but the difference was
statistically not significant as the confidence intervals were very
wide. Odds of foetal growth restriction was 48% higher among study
group as compared to control group (Table 4).
The odds ratio of neonatal deaths in study group
was 4.84 (95%CI:
0.48-48.24) compared to control
group. The odds ratio of new-born complications such as low birth weight
2.49 (95%CI: 1.04-5.91) and need for nursery or NICU admission 4.84
(95%CI: 0.48-48.24) was higher in study group as compared to control
group. Low birth rate was higher
in study group and was found to be statistically significant. Odds of
still birth was 5% higher in study group as compared to control group
(Table 6).