Lack of iron in the body of a pregnant woman or anemia is one of the most common diseases that women have "in position". According to statistics, almost every third pregnant woman suffers from an insufficient red blood cell count or hemoglobin deficiency. In 95-98% of cases, the disease is associated with a deficiency in the body of iron, which is a component of hemoglobin. This is called iron deficiency anemia and the incidence of it among pregnant women has increased almost 7-fold over the past 15 years.
Unfortunately, most people do not consider it necessary to treat anemia, and most patients simply underestimate the damage that anemia can bring to health. But at stake is not only the health of the mother, but the condition and even the life of her unborn child. A key role in the development of iron deficiency is the level of hemoglobin and red blood cells that deliver oxygen throughout the body. Just like no one can feel good and healthy in a stuffy, unventilated room with foul air, and all organs and tissues in anemia can not work normally due to oxygen starvation. They simply can not fully perform their functions.
During pregnancy, the situation is complicated by the fact that two mothers and a future child are already suffering: the lack of oxygen is reflected simultaneously on two hearts, four kidneys, two pairs of eyes, etc. The main prerequisite for the development of iron deficiency in the body of a pregnant woman is the increased demand for this element during pregnancy.
What do you need iron for?
Iron is an indispensable trace element that penetrates the human body through food. Food with a content of 2000-2500 kcal, eaten during the day, contains 10-15 mg of iron, but unfortunately, from the gastrointestinal tract, no more than 2 mg can enter the blood - this is the limit for the absorption of this mineral. Along with this, of the 2 mg of iron entering the body every day, only half is consumed and is subsequently excreted in urine, feces, then, by detachment of the skin's epithelium, through hair loss. Add to this the loss of iron at the expense of additional hemoglobin formation (about 400 mg throughout the pregnancy) for the developmental muscles of the fetus and placenta (300 mg) and to meet other needs of this trace element in pregnant women and also loss of iron during labor (230 mg) and feeding the baby! It is clear that with such a distribution, often the need for iron during pregnancy significantly exceeds the possibility of its absorption from food, which is the reason for the lack of iron in the body of a pregnant woman.
Why do I need iron in the body of a pregnant woman?
The load on the body during child bearing increases several times. Faster heart beats, breathing becomes faster, kidneys work more intensively to ensure the processes of vital functions of the mother and fetus. But to realize this extended regime, more oxygen is also needed. Oxygen, in turn, can be delivered to tissues only with the help of hemoglobin, which is found in red blood cells - erythrocytes. With increasing load on the body, his need for oxygen, and consequently, in iron also rises.
It's no secret that, according to the growth and development of the fetus, the uterus grows, the number and size of the muscle fibers that make up the uterus grows. And iron is an indispensable component of muscle tissue. So with the growth of the uterus, the need for iron also becomes high. Iron is also necessary for the correct formation of the placenta, through which the vital needs of the fetus are realized.
Iron is also necessary for the development of muscle and other fetal tissues. Already in the first trimester of pregnancy, the formation of one's own circulatory system and fetal blood begins, and, consequently, the need for iron also increases.
Factors affecting the development of iron deficiency:
1. Low level of iron stores in the body of a woman before pregnancy. This may be due to:
- the age of the pregnant woman (under the age of 18 and older than 35 years);
- poor nutrition with low vitamin content in food;
- disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, which prevents the absorption of iron and its transport to organs and tissues;
- severe and prolonged illness;
- hormonal disorders and hormonal contraceptives;
- severe and / or prolonged menstruation;
- certain gynecological conditions (uterine myoma, endometriosis);
- frequent nasal bleeding, etc .;
- chronic alcoholism.
2. Multiple pregnancy. With her, the need to consume iron-containing products and preparations is much higher than when one fetus is born.
3. Insufficient interval between pregnancies and childbirth. During pregnancy, childbirth and lactation, a woman loses about 1 g of iron (700-900 mg). Such a huge amount of losses can be fully restored only after 4-5 years. That's why, when the next pregnancy occurs before this period, there is much more chance of developing a lack of iron or anemia. In addition, the disease will inevitably occur in a woman who has more than four children.
The main symptoms of iron deficiency anemia
- Weakness, fatigue, drowsiness;
- Loss of memory and performance;
- Dizziness, asterisks before the eyes and headaches;
- Sharp changes in taste and smell (you begin to feel a sharp smell, like acetone, benzene, experience an inexplicable desire to eat chalk, toothpaste, etc.);
- Loss of appetite;
- Pale skin and mucous membranes;
- For dry skin, cracking of the lips, palms and soles is sometimes observed;
- Stratification and hair loss;
- Broken nails;
- Problems with the teeth;
- Constipation or diarrhea;
- Atrophic gastritis;
- Stomatitis;
- Feeling of rapid heartbeat, pain in heart and rapid pulse;
- Involuntary urination during laughter, coughing, sneezing, bedwetting;
- Colds.
Why anemia is dangerous during pregnancy
The development of anemia in every third pregnant woman causes an extremely unpleasant complication, such as the failure of all organs and tissues. The brain and heart work poorly, there is not enough blood (and therefore oxygen) transferred to other organs, the liver synthesizes little protein, which then must be used to create various cells. In the body there are many toxic metabolic products that enter the placenta and can damage the fetus. With a lack of iron in pregnant women are more common toxicosis. No less dangerous are the following consequences of anemia:
- An increased risk of fetal death in the uterus (25%).
- Anemia increases the risk of premature birth (21.5%).
- About 3-4 times the bleeding increases during childbirth, blood loss is sometimes fatal.
- Postpartum infectious complications often occur and insufficient lactation.
- With severe anemia, the risk of stillbirths increases (11.5%).
- In a study of children born to mothers with anemia, the researchers found that one in three children often suffer from colds for a long time, 29% have allergies and 23% have anemia.
Prophylaxis of iron deficiency in pregnant women
It is necessary to seriously consider the issue of preparing for pregnancy before conception. It is important to completely heal from all existing chronic diseases, restore normal intestinal flora, normalize the menstrual cycle and replenish iron deficiency, if any.
Particular attention, both during pregnancy and before it should be given to a full-calorie and balanced diet. The diet should contain high-grade proteins of animal origin, as in meat products contain the most iron.
By the way, iron from meat products is better absorbed by the human body (up to 25-30%), while other products of animal origin - eggs, fish - only 10-15%, and the blood from the gastrointestinal tract is absorbed only 3- 5% of iron. Which products need special attention? Rye bread, eggs (especially yolks), soy, beans, beans, cocoa, milk, cheese, as well as beef, turkey, beef and pork liver, heart, cottage cheese, sour cream, cream. Well stock up iron carrots, pumpkin, cabbage, pomegranate, green apples, parsley, spinach, oatmeal, dried apricots, almonds. The diet should include fresh vegetables and honey, if you do not have allergies.
Warning: use of medicines in case of iron deficiency should be carried out only according to the prescription of the doctor! Most often the appointment of iron preparations during pregnancy is indicated to women with risk factors for the development of this disease. At this time, the intake of small iron doses is recommended for courses of 2-3 weeks, starting from the 14-16th week of pregnancy.
Pregnant with iron deficiency anemia, it is necessary not only to correct nutrition, but also to take prescription drugs. And now it is proved that this disease can not be cured only by products rich in iron. The highest concentration of iron, which can be absorbed from food - from 2 to 2.5 mg per day. Although drugs can increase the amount of iron in the blood 15-20 times.
Treatment of anemia should be carried out under the strict supervision of a physician. In each case, the doctor chooses the appropriate drug, dosage, taking into account the multiplicities, as well as monitoring the effectiveness of therapy using a blood test. This rather long process takes an average of 5-8 weeks, and all consumption together with the preparation should continue for some time after the normal hemoglobin content in the blood and red blood cells. The most commonly prescribed tablets containing iron, and not injections. Transfusion of blood in connection with anemia during pregnancy is made only in very severe cases, according to experts.
Anemia during pregnancy affects not only the mother's body, but also the developing fetus. Treatment of this disease is a very long and complex process. It is much easier to try to prevent the appearance of a lack of iron in the body of a pregnant woman than to treat it later.