OBJECTIVES : According to the World Health Organization, anemia affects more than 40% of pregnant women worldwide. Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia, and has been shown to have a direct impact on health and quality of life of both mother and child.Ferritin, and iron binding protein, can be used to assess the body’s stored iron and support diagnosis. This study assessed the prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency amongst pregnant women in the ESE Clinica Maternidad Rafael Calvo, a reference maternity unit in the department of Bolivar, Colombia.

METHODS : A total of 773 women were enrolled during the last trimester of their pregnancy, between December 2018 and December 2019. Obstetric and prenatal information was assessed, as well as personal and socio-economical background. Blood samples were taken prior to delivery and analysis was based on maternal blood count and ferritin levels.

RESULTS : Prevalence of maternal anemia was 42.4% (95%CI: 38.9 - 45.9). Hemoglobin and ferritin levels were significantly correlated (rho=0.39, p<0.0001). Low ferritin levels were detected in 196 out of 496 (39.5%) women and in 55.6% of anemic mothers. Age [adjusted OR: 0.93, 95%CI: 0.91-0.97], affiliation to health care system [0.73(0.54-0.99], socioeconomical class [0.63 (0.40-0.99)] and prenatal care attendance [0.63 (0.46-0.85)] were protective factors for anemia, meanwhile living in the urban area [1.66 (1.13-2.41)] and previous pregnancies behaved as risk factors [One: OR: 1.7 (1.2-2.5), 2 or more: OR: 2.8 (1.8-4.3)]. Ferritin levels decreased parallel with previous pregnancies (Current = 30.8±37.9, One = 18.6±18.2, 2 or more= 17.7±25.8 ng/mL, p<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS : Anemia and iron deficiency are common in pregnant women. Access to adequate prenatal control allows identifying the associated risk factors to prevent anemia and maintain optimal iron levels.