Relationship Between Anemia in Pregnant Women and the Incidence of LBW: Literature Review

Abstract

Introduction: More than 40% of pregnant women who experience anemia are the cause of Low Birth Weight (LBW) and contribute up to 60-80% of neonatal deaths. According to Riskesdas (2018), the prevalence of anemia in pregnant women in Indonesia is 48.9% and the prevalence in Lampung province reaches 11.67%. Anemia in pregnant women is caused by iron deficiency which is triggered by inadequate nutritional intake. Which has an impact on the growth and development of the fetus. Efforts to prevent and treat anemia in pregnant women can be carried out by means of routine pregnancy checks (ANC), consuming iron tablets, and monitoring hemoglobin levels regularly during pregnancy and it is hoped that this can minimize the impact of anemia on pregnant women and reduce the risk of LBW. Objective: To Analyzing the results of research over the last five years regarding the relationship between anemia and the incidence of low birth weight (LBW) babies. Method: The method used in this research is the literature review method where researchers critically examine the ideas contained in several studies. The search method was carried out using PICO analysis. This article was searched for in a number of scientific databases such as ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Google Scholar in 2018-2023. Result: From the results of the analysis of 10 articles in 7 international journals and 3 national journals, there was a relationship between anemia in pregnant women and the incidence of low birth weight (LBW) babies and 1 journal said there was no relationship between anemia in pregnant women and the incidence of low birth weight babies. (LBW), and as many as 9 articles had a p-value <0.05 and one article had a p-value >0.05. Conclusion: Anemia in pregnant women influences the incidence of LBW. The lower the hemoglobin level in pregnant women, the higher the risk of giving birth to a baby with low birth weight.