32 research outputs found
Anemia In The Context Of Pregnancy And Hiva/Aids: A Case Of Pumwani Maternity Hospital In Nairobi Kenya
Anemia is a major public health problem in Africa affecting over 80% of
women in many countries. It is more common during pregnancy due to the
increased demand for iron at different stages of pregnancy. In Kenya,
one out of every two mothers is affected by some form of anemia. Human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome
(AIDS) among expectant women further increase risk of anemia prevalence
and severity. This study was to determine the socio-economic
characteristics, dietary pattern of pregnant women and investigate the
relationship between iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and HIV/AIDS in
pregnancy. A case-control study was conducted in Pumwani Maternity
Hospital in Nairobi Kenya. The HIV status was ascertained through
HIV-antibody tests using Determine, Uni- Gold and Tie-Breaker reagents.
Cases of 57 seropositive and controls of 57 seronegative pregnant women
were randomly and co-currently selected. Their hemoglobin (Hb),
demographic, socio-economic characteristics were determined. A 24-hour
dietary recall and food frequency were used to determine the food
consumption pattern. Results showed that both cases and controls were
from low socio-economic status and consumed monotonous diets of plant
origin particularly Ugali, a paste made from maize flour and kales
vegetables locally known as Sukumawiki. Fruits were rarely consumed.
The meals were mainly consumed three times in a day with snacks
consumed by an insignificant number of women. With exception of
pre-eclampsia, other pregnant-related problems including headache,
dizziness, loss of appetite, heartburn and vomiting were more
predominant among the cases than in the controls. Iron deficiency
anemia was more prevalent and severe among the cases (prevalence=68%,
mean Hb=9.551g/dl) than the controls (prevalence=26.3 %, mean
Hb=11.974g/dl). The relative risk of being anemic was about two times
higher for HIV-infected as of the uninfected pregnant women, (Relative
risk=2.33). It is concluded that pregnant women from low socio-economic
status consume diets with iron of low biological value, have low Hb and
are generally anemic. Moreover, HIV-infected pregnant women have lower
Hb and are two times more likely to be anemic than the uninfected. The
HIV/AIDS infection is therefore associated with low Hb and higher
anemia prevalence and severity among pregnant women. There is,
therefore, a need for pre-natal nutrition care system that emphasizes
improved consumption of essential nutrients including iron of high
biological value and implementation of interventions tailored to check
anemia prevalence and severity among pregnant women within the context
of HIV/AIDS pandemic and low socioeconomic settings