Prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy at Greytown, South Africa

Context: Anaemia in pregnancy is a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality mainly in developing countries. It is a preventable medical condition through public health interventions which are potentially feasible and cost-effective. In order to strengthen planning and management, the prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy at a district hospital was ascertained. Objectives: To describe antenatal booking visits, haemoglobin levels and to estimate the prevalence of Anaemia in pregnancy based on the criteria set by South Africa (National) and World Health organization and to identify the risk factors. Study-Design, Setting and Subjects: A retrospective cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using antenatal clinic register of a rural district (Greytown) Hospital of KwaZulu-Natal Province during January to December 2003. A total of 711 pregnant women from 1486 booking visits were recruited. Main Outcome Measures: Percentage of attendees had low haemoglobin, effects on haemoglobin concentration of age and gestational age (trimester). Results: Based on the South African (Haemoglobi