Anemia in pregnant women can reach 40% in some areas of Mexico, a “silent” epidemic that can complicate childbirth and pose a “risk” for both the mother and the fetus, warned this Wednesday Dr. Zigor Campos, from the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS).
Within the framework of World Iron Deficiency Day, Dr. Campos, a gynecological expert, warned of the “silent problem” that in his opinion is the lack of this mineral in the case of pregnant women, whose condition in some areas of Mexico, such as the state of Chiapas (south), can reach 40% of pregnant women.
Meanwhile, at the national level, he highlighted that this disease affects 20 to 39% of pregnant women, which depends on multiple health and social factors and places Mexico in a “dark moment” with figures similar to other Latin American countries.
“I think it is a shared responsibility. We all have to think about the solution,” urged the doctor during his conference, organized by the Mexican pharmaceutical company Chinoin.
In his speech, Dr. Campos explained that anemia is another “stage” of iron deficiency, and in the case of pregnant women, he noted, it is a “vicious circle” that can cause the development of the fetus “not to be adequate.”
“We have to break this vicious circle with adequate treatment and timely diagnosis. It is not an individual problem, it is a public health crisis (…) that can affect the present of the mother and the future of the newborn, especially brain development,” added the researcher.
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According to him, the problems derived from anemia can cause premature birth (before 37 weeks) or subsequent problems for the pregnant woman, among which he cited postpartum or perinatal depression, as well as lack of energy or respiratory difficulty.
“The neurological effects caused by iron deficiency during fetal development can be irreversible and can have manifestations at any time in life,” the gynecologist stressed.
In addition, there is a greater possibility of mortality during pregnancy due to a lack of iron, up to three times more than a healthy person, and the risk of serious complications can increase up to 70%, as it is associated with a greater bleeding capacity.
In the case of a newborn, if the mother suffers from anemia, it is “likely” that the fetus will be born smaller, which is known in health jargon as ‘intrauterine growth’.
All these complications, Campos explained, are caused by the drop in red blood cell reserves, something “especially dangerous” in the gestation period, in which the demand for this mineral increases up to a thousand milligrams, necessary for the correct development of the embryo.
For this reason, the specialist urged to enhance research to be able to detect this disease at an early stage, which must be combated with intravenous or oral treatments.
With information from EFE.
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