Anaemia in pregnancy in southern Malawi: Prevalence and risk factors

Abstract

Objective To determine prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy in southern Malawi, and to establish if an ‘at risk’ group can be identified for targeted intervention. Design Prospective cross-sectional study. Setting A semi-urban hospital and a rural health clinic in southern Malawi. Population Pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic for their booking visit. Methods Haemoglobin concentration (g/dL) measured from a capillary blood sample (fingerprick) by battery operated HemoCue machine. Results In urban Blantyre 57% of women were anaemic by WHO standards (haemoglobin < 11.0 g/dL) and 3.6% were severely anaemic (haemoglobin < 7.0 g/dL). The prevalence was higher in the rural area; 72% and 4...