Association of Gestational Anemia with Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension in a Private Hospital Maternity Care

Abstract

Anemia, a prevalent global health concern affecting a quarter of the world's population, notably impacts pregnant women, with approximately 56 million affected globally. Its repercussions on maternal and neonatal health are extreme, leading to increased risks of low birth weight, fetal complications, and maternal morbidity and mortality. Concurrently, pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) poses significant risks to maternal and fetal well-being, yet the link between anemia and PIH remains an understudied area, particularly in Pakistan. Objective: To investigate the association between anemia and the heightened risk of PIH, offering critical insights into perinatal outcomes. Methods: A retrospective study was designed and the data was collected from Hijaz Hospital Gulberg III Lahore, Pakistan. Total 120 pregnant women were selected for the study and split into two groups. Group A consisted of 65 pregnant women with hypertension, whereas group B included 55 non-hypertensive pregnant women. Hemoglobin levels and Complete Blood Count were evaluated using standard protocols. The association of hemoglobin levels and PIH was investigated using independent-students test and one-way ANOVA by utilizing SPSS version-25. Results: Our findings showed that the hemoglobin levels were lowest (9.953846±1.924584 g/dl) in hypertensive women as compared to no-hypertensive women (11.52±1.584172) in their 3rd trimester. It coincided with the lowest number of red blood cells (4.1067±0.57816 million/mm3) in women with hypertension. Conclusions: Our finding demonstrated that the lower the levels of hemoglobin, the higher the risk of PIH.