A study of Vitamin B12 Deficiency as a cause of severe anemia in Pregnancy: Is there a Need for antenatal Supplementation?

Juhi Godara; Prof. Yashodhara Pradeep; Prof. Renu Singh

Volume : VI, Issue : XI, November - 2017

A study of Vitamin B12 Deficiency as a cause of severe anemia in Pregnancy: Is there a Need for antenatal Supplementation?

Juhi Godara, Prof. Yashodhara Pradeep, Prof. Renu Singh

Abstract :

Anemia in pregnancy has been synonymous with iron-deficiency anemia but there is a changing trend with emerging evidence of macrocytic anemia. The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical profile of patients having severe anemia in pregnancy.It is a prospective cohort study included all antenatal patients presenting with severe anemia (hemoglobin <7 gm%) over a period of 1 year from July 2014 to June 2015 in the Department of OBG, KGMC, Lucknow, India.On comp� the results , it was found that although iron-deficiency remains the most important cause of severe anemia (74.9%) but there is also a high prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency (56.4%) amongst these cases of severe anemia in pregnancy. This study done will be helpful in providing useful inputs to National Anemia Control Programme and may be helpful to evolve appropriate guidelines for adequate supplementation of vitamin B12 during pregnancy.