A Group of IPB Researchers: The Importance Pregnancy Check for Anemia of Pregnant Women
Every three minutes, somewhere in Indonesia, a child under the age of five years dies. Moreover, every hour, a woman dies from giving birth or of causes related to pregnancy. Maternal mortality is a major problem in the health sector in Indonesia. Young adolescents face a higher risk of complications and death as a result of pregnancy than other women. The risk of maternal mortality is four times higher for adolescent girls under 15 years old, and complications in pregnancy and childbirth is a leading cause of death among adolescent girls in developing countries. A woman’s lifetime risk of maternal death – the probability that a 15 year old woman will eventually die from a maternal cause – is 1 in 4900 in developed countries, versus 1 in 180 in developing countries. Adolescents under the age of 16 are four times more likely to die of maternal mortality and 50 percent (%) of infant mortality than women who are pregnant at the age of more than 20 years.
Women die as a result of complications during and following pregnancy and childbirth. Most of these complications develop during pregnancy and most are preventable or treatable. Pregnancy in adolescence is closely related to the incidence of anemia, hypertension, and preeclampsia. Antenatal care is a critical opportunity for health providers to deliver care, support and information to pregnant women. This includes promoting a healthy lifestyle, including good nutrition; detecting and preventing diseases; providing family planning counselling and supporting women who may be experiencing intimate partner violence. Antenatal care service providers make a thorough evaluation of the pregnant woman to identify and treat existing obstetric and medical problems.
A group of researchers of the Department of Community Nutrition, of the Faculty of Human Ecology of Bogor Agricultural University (FEMA IPB), namely Ratu Diah Koerniawati, Dodik Briawan and Rimbawan carried out the research program to find out antenatal care (ANC) and its relationship to the incidence of anemia in teenage pregnancy.
" Anemia affects almost two-thirds of pregnant women in Indonesia and contributes to maternal morbidity and mortality and to low birthweight. Other complications may exist before pregnancy but are worsened during pregnancy, especially if not managed as part of the woman’s care. Many factors affect the incidence of anemia in teenage pregnancy, one of which is the low visit antenatal care check (ANC). Quality health care during pregnancy and childbirth can prevent many of these deaths. The most common cause of anaemia in pregnancy worldwide is iron deficiency. Maternal iron requirements increase in pregnancy because of the requirements of the fetus and placenta and the increase in maternal red cell mass. The frequent visits and classifying pregnant women into low and high risk by predicting the complications ahead of time, is the best way to care for the mother and the fetus high incidence of anemia, "said Dodik.
The study was conducted in Bogor City from January to March 2016. A total of 72 pregnant teens (aged 10-19 years) participated in the study. The team collected haemoglobin data collected by taking blood in the veins and analyzed using cyanmethemoglobin method.
The results showed that 30.6% of pregnant teenagers were late to do their first examination of their pregnancy. Overall, the prevalence of anaemia (Hb <11g/dl) was found to be 45.8%. There was no significant association between anaemia with consumption of iron supplementation, energy intake, iron intake, and vitamin C intake (p>0.05). However, there was a significant association between protein intake and anaemia (p<0.05). 69.4% of pregnant women went to health care provider for pregnancy test in their first trimester pregnancy (K1 pure), but 29% of pregnant women attending antenatal clinics for their first pregnancies checked in the second trimester (29.2%) and the third trimester (1.4%).
These researchers explain, pregnancy in adolescence is vulnerable to the incidence of iron deficiency and anemia. This is because the physiological condition of adolescents, basically being in a period of rapid growth, while at the same time fetuses compete to get the nutrient intake needed by the teen pregnant woman. Most maternal deaths are preventable, as the health-care solutions to prevent or manage complications are well known. All women need access to antenatal care in pregnancy, skilled care during childbirth, and care and support in the weeks after childbirth.
There was no association between adherence to tablet consumption plus blood, energy adequacy, iron, and vitamin C with anemia. However, there is a relationship between protein intake and anemia. The practice of antenatal care in teenage pregnancy is still low. These researchers suggested that protein intake should be increased to reduce the incidence of anemia in teenage pregnancy. (Wied)
