title: Maternal hematologic changes during pregnancy and the effect of iron status on preterm delivery in a West Los Angeles population.
abstract: This study was conducted to document the prevalence of anemia and high hematocrit during pregnancy and examine their effect on delivering preterm in a predominantly Hispanic population. The sample consisted of women receiving prenatal care from the public health clinics in the West Los Angeles from 1983 to 1986 (n = 7589). Multivariate logistic regression was used to isolate the role of anemia and high hematocrit from other factors that may influence birth outcome. The prevalence of anemia was approximately 9% at the initiation of prenatal care and at 28-32 weeks' gestation. Only anemia at 28-32 weeks was significantly associated with a preterm birth, even after adjusting for several confounders [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) 1.83 95% Cl = 1.21, 2.77]. A high hematocrit that occurred in 9.6% of the population at 28-32 weeks was inversely associated with a preterm birth (AOR 0.78, 95% Cl = 0.44, 1.39). There was little differentiation of these risk factors when analyzing the etiological pathways of a preterm birth. These results indicate for the first time in a predominantly Hispanic population that despite routine iron supplementation, anemia still occurs in pregnant women and it can predict a preterm delivery.
authors.affiliation: Department of MCH, University of North Carolina School of Public Health, Chapel Hill, USA.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Siega-Riz
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Adair
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hobel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D015141:Los Angeles / Q000453:epidemiology; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000097:blood* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology; D011295:Prenatal Care; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D007501:Iron