PATIALA: Eminent gynecologists from the region would participate in the one-day continuing medical education (CME) programme on "Anemia in Pregnancy" being organized by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Gian Sagar Medical College and Hospital, near Rajpura, in this district, on March 30.

Dr Praveen Mohan, organizing chairperson of the program, said that various aspects of anemia in pregnancy would be discussed by the eminent speakers.

She said that anemia is a condition in which there is a fall in haemoglobin or red cell mass leading to poor oxygenation of various organs in the body.

Over 50 per cent of pregnant women in the country were affected by this condition and present to the obstetrician with different grades of anemia. If not diagnosed and treated in time, anemia could lead to maternal mortality in 10 to 20 per cent cases as a direct cause.

In another 50 per cent of the cases, this was an indirect cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. The commonest cause in our country is nutritional anemia, while the other causes responsible for anemia can be worm infestations, malaria, and bleeding from various causes.

Anemia if left untreated during pregnancy, has a poor outcome for the baby also, in the form of prematurity, intrauterine growth retardation, still birth and poor iron stores in later life. Unnecessary blood transfusion with its own hazards like Hepatitis B, C and HIV- could be prevented with timely management of anemia, Dr Praveen Mohan said.

Dr Praveen Mohan said that anemia was an easily preventable condition if a pregnant woman followed the certain norms during pregnancy which included three times hemoglobin check in early pregnancy, in mid-pregnancy and during last three months.

She said that all pregnant women should be supplemented with 60mg of elemental iron from second trimester onwards till three months after delivery if hemoglobin was 11gm per cent.

Supplementation was required because average Indian diet could not full-fill the required dose. If hemoglobin was less than 11gm per cent, full therapeutic dose i.e. 60mg thrice a day had to be given till required level of heamoglobin i.e. 11gm per cent was achieved.

This should be followed by supplemental dose 60mg elemental iron for the rest of pregnancy and three  months postnatal to build up the stores, said Dr Mohan.