ABSTRACT
Anaemia is the commonest medical disorder during pregnancy. The World Health Organization definition for diagnosis of anaemia in pregnancy is a haemoglobin (Hb) concentration of <11 g/dL and a haematocrit of <0.33. The overall prevalence of anaemia varies in different countries, affecting approximately 18 per cent of pregnant women in industrialised countries but about 56 per cent of pregnant women in developing countries. Normal Hb is composed of four subunits, with a single haem group and four species-specific globin chains. The haem group is an iron molecule with four pyrrole rings attached to it. Two pairs of globin chains are attached to the pyrrole rings to make up normal Hb. Iron-deficiency anaemia is the commonest type of anaemia and is classically described as a microcytic hypochromic anaemia. It is much more common in developing countries owing to poor dietary habits, defective iron absorption caused by intestinal infestations of hookworm and other worms.
