Background: Maternal anemia is a common problem worldwide. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of anemia in women attending a tertiary care centre in their third trimester of pregnancy and to study the relation of maternal hemoglobin with perinatal outcome.Methods: This study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, SMGS Hospital, Jammu for a period of one year from Nov. 2015 to Oct. 2016. A total of 767 women in their third trimester (>28 weeks) were enrolled and were followed till delivery. Their hemoglobin levels were noted and its association with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes was studied.Results: It was seen that out of 767 patients, 193 (25.16%) were non-anemic and 574 (74.83%) were anemic out of which 343 (44.71%) were mildly anemic, 160 (20.86%) had moderate anemia and 70 (9.12%) had severe anemia. There was increased incidence of preterm delivery, PPH, preeclampsia, eclampsia, CCF, mortality & blood transfusions in the anemic group as compared to the non-anemic group. Among the adverse fetal outcomes, there was increased incidence of intrauterine deaths, intrauterine growth restriction, NICU admissions, meconium stained liquor, low birth weight babies and APGAR scores <7/10 among the anemic group as compared to the non-anemic group.Conclusions: Maternal anemia is a significant risk factor for adverse maternal and perinatal outcome and its prevalence continues to be high especially in developing countries like India. So, correction of maternal anemia still remains one of the most important step towards better obstetrical care
