[Anemia in pregnant women from the community of Puente Alto, Chile].
BACKGROUND
Micronutrient deficiencies, specially iron, render pregnant women as one of the most vulnerable groups to have anemia.


OBJECTIVE
To report the prevalence of anemia during pregnancy and its associated features in women attending public clinics in the Puente Alto County.


METHODS
We studied 1683 pregnant women aged 18 years old or more. Hemoglobin concentration was determined using the cianmetahemoglobin method. Anemia was defined using the 5th percentile cut-off for each week of gestational age as proposed by R Yip from the Centers of Disease Control, 1989. The influence of maternal age, parity, nutritional status classified using weight/height, diseases and smoking habits on hemoglobin concentration were analyzed using logistic regression with a stepwise procedure.


RESULTS
Thirteen percent of the study population was anemic. The single factor significantly associated with anemia was nutritional status. Twenty one percent of women with a low weight for height were anemic.


CONCLUSIONS
These results support the concept that pregnant women with a low weight for height have the greatest risk for anemia and should be specially benefited with preventive or treatment programs to avoid this problem.
Mardones
Francisco
F
Departamento de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Marcoleta 381, Depto. 31, Santiago. mardones@med.puc.cl, fmardons@puc.cl
Rioseco
Alonso
A
Ocqueteau
Mauricio
M
Urrutia
María Teresa
MT
Javet
Lorena
L
Rojas
Iván
I
Villarroel del
Luis
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology; D008423:Maternal Age; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000209:etiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors
D006454:Hemoglobins