Association Between Severity of Maternal Anemia and Adverse Fetomaternal Outcomes at Hayatabad Medical Complex

Abstract

Introduction Maternal anemia is still a major global health issue, especially in underdeveloped nations where its high incidence is a result of inadequate prenatal care and nutritional inadequacies. It has a negative impact on the health of both the mother and the fetus, increasing morbidity and mortality. Objective To determine the association between the severity of maternal anemia and adverse fetomaternal outcomes among pregnant women at Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar.  Methodology This cross-sectional study was carried out from January to December 2024 at the Hayatabad Medical Complex's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Peshawar. In the study, 210 pregnant women were included through the use of consecutive sampling. The severity of anemia was categorized using WHO standards. The analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics version 26 for maternal and fetal outcomes data. To account for confounders, multivariate logistic regression was used, while chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used for categorical variables. The p-value was deemed statistically significant if it was less than 0.05.  Results Anemia was observed in 192 (91.4%) women, with 72 (34.3%) having mild, 90 (42.9%) moderate and 30 (14.3%) severe anemia. Maternal complications, including preeclampsia (p=0.004), preterm labor (p=0.012), and postpartum hemorrhage (p=0.018), were significantly associated with anemia severity. Fetal complications, including low birth weight (p<0.001) and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission (p=0.006), were more frequent among women with severe anemia. After multivariate adjustment, severe anemia remained an independent predictor of adverse outcomes (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=3.72, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.68-8.26, p=0.001). Conclusion Adverse fetomaternal outcomes are highly correlated with the severity of maternal anemia. To avoid complications from anemia during pregnancy, early screening and prompt treatments are crucial.