The Compounded Risk of Maternal Anemia and Preeclampsia: Neonatal Outcomes and Predictive Modeling in a Low-Resource...

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Neonatal Medicine
• Hematology

Background:

• Anemia and preeclampsia are common, independently linked to poor neonatal outcomes.
• The combined impact of maternal anemia and preeclampsia on neonates is not well understood.
• This study investigates the effect of second-trimester anemia on neonatal outcomes in preeclamptic pregnancies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of maternal anemia in the second trimester on neonatal outcomes in preeclamptic pregnancies.
• To assess the predictive value of anemia severity for preterm birth and NICU admission.
• To inform clinical protocols for managing hypertensive pregnancies.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 3517 singleton births (October 2023 - December 2024).
• 295 preeclamptic pregnancies stratified by anemia severity, compared to 428 matched non-preeclamptic anemic pregnancies.
• Neonatal outcomes analyzed: birthweight, gestational age, Apgar score, preterm birth, NICU admission. Logistic regression and ROC analysis used.

Main Results:

• Moderate-to-severe anemia in preeclamptic pregnancies correlated with lower birthweight and shorter gestational age.
• Higher rates of preterm birth (41.1%) and NICU admission (40.0%) observed in anemic preeclamptic pregnancies.
• Anemia severity predicted preterm delivery (OR=1.84, AUC=0.63) and NICU admission (OR=1.49, AUC=0.58).

Conclusions:

• Maternal anemia significantly increases neonatal morbidity in preeclamptic pregnancies.
• Anemia severity shows moderate predictive value for preterm birth in this population.
• Integrating anemia screening into hypertensive pregnancy care can enhance perinatal outcomes.