title: Nutritional anaemia in pregnant Beninese women: consequences on the haematological profile of the newborn.
abstract: An assessment of iron and folic acid status, blood thick film and haemoglobin (Hb) electrophoresis was performed on 126 pregnant women (and their newborn infants) and in ninety-five menstruating women in Cotonou (Benin). Anaemia (according to the World Health Organization (1972] was observed in 55% of pregnant women and in 39% of menstruating women. Fe-deficiency was defined as a low serum ferritin concentration (12 micrograms/l or less), combined with a low transferrin saturation (less than 16%) or a high erythrocyte protoporphyrin level (more than 3 micrograms/g Hb), or both. A moderate elevation in the serum ferritin concentration (between 13 and 50 micrograms/l), associated with a low transferrin saturation or a high erythrocyte protoporphyrin level, or both, indicated Fe-deficiency in an inflammatory context. Fe-deficiency was present in 73% of pregnant women and in 41% of menstruating women. Folate deficiency (defined as erythrocyte folate below 160 micrograms/l) was observed in 45% of pregnant women. In pregnant women, anaemia was associated with Fe-deficiency in 83% of cases and with folate deficiency in 48% of cases. Haemoglobinopathies were mainly heterozygous and did not seem to contribute significantly to anaemia. Intensity of malaria was not related to Hb level, but Plasmodium falciparum was found in 99% of subjects. Hb concentration and mean corpuscular volume were significantly lower in babies born of Fe-deficient mothers than in babies born of Fe-sufficient mothers. Hb concentration in newborn infants was positively correlated with maternal serum ferritin.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D003677:Deficiency Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000097:blood*; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D008288:Malaria / Q000150:complications; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D005492:Folic Acid; D007501:Iron