TO STUDY THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN RISK OF INFANT ANEMIA AND MATERNAL ANEMIA

Abstract

Aim: To study the association between risk of infant anemia and maternal anemia. Methods: This research comprised 100 infants aged 3 to 6 months. All of the infants were delivered at the hospital at term, with birth weights more than 2500g. This research included
babies who were exclusively breastfed, had no prior history of hospitalisation, and whose moms had an uncomplicated prenatal period. These neonates were weighed using a digital scale, and their weights were placed on a WHO growth chart. The maternal data were used to determine the maternal haemoglobin concentration in the third trimester. Results: 70 (70%) of 100 infants (3-6 months) born at term suitable for gestational age and exclusively breastfed had haemoglobin concentrations of <11g/dl .Out of 70 newborns with low haemoglobin concentrations (<11g/dl), 60 (60%) were delivered to anaemic mothers and 10 (10%) were born to non-anemic mothers (>11g/dl). Twenty (20%) of the infants delivered to anaemic mothers had haemoglobin concentrations more than 11g/dl. Maternal anaemia had a substantial (p value 0.0005) effect on these babies' haemoglobin level. Infant anaemia is 6.0 times more likely among infants delivered to anaemic moms. A linear regression analysis was performed to assess the relationship between maternal haemoglobin and infant weight gain pattern, and it was discovered that maternal haemoglobin concentration during the last
trimester influenced 31 percent of the variation in weights of these 3-6 months old term exclusively breast-fed infants. There is a positive connection, R2=0.31, indicating that maternal anaemia accounts for 31% of the variance in the child's current weight.
Conclusion: Maternal anaemia in the third trimester is substantially related with low haemoglobin and poor weight growth in term 3-6 month old infants.