title: Anaemia, folate and vitamin B12 deficiency among pregnant women in an area of unstable malaria transmission in eastern Sudan.
abstract: A cross-sectional study was carried out between October 2007 and January 2008 to investigate the prevalence and types of anaemia among pregnant women of eastern Sudan. Socio-demographic and obstetrical data were collected using a questionnaire. Haemoglobin (Hb), serum ferritin, serum folate and vitamin B(12) were assessed using standard laboratory methods. Two hundred and seventy-nine pregnant Sudanese women were recruited. Anaemia (Hb <11 gdl) and iron deficiency (ferritin <15 microg/l) were prevalent in 80.3 and 14.3% of the study sample, respectively. Of the total sample, 11.1% had iron-deficiency anaemia. Serum folate (<6.6 ng/ml) and vitamin B(12) (<150 pg/ml) deficiency was reported in 57.7 and 1%, respectively, and none of the women had both folate and vitamin B(12) deficiencies. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that ferritin, serum folate and vitamin B(12) levels were not significantly associated with anaemia. Thus, there was a high prevalence of anaemia and folate deficiency. Measures to control these should be considered.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.
authors.forename: Ishraga I
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Abdelrahim
authors.forename: Gamal K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Adam
authors.forename: Ahmed A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mohmmed
authors.forename: Magdi M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Salih
authors.forename: Naji I
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Mustafa I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Elbashier
authors.forename: Ishag
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Adam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D005494:Folic Acid Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013397:Sudan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005293:Ferritins