Pregnancy-associated anemia and its effects in term neonates

To investigate the implications of maternal anemia in term neonates.

In a population-based retrospective cohort study, standard demographic and clinical variables noted during post-birth hospitalization in term neonates were compared across groups stratified by maternal anemia in a racially diverse population.

Of 474 maternal-neonatal dyads, 66.03 % were Hispanic (H), 15.8 % Black (B), 7.3 % non-Hispanic White (NHW), and 10.7 % Asian/Pacific Islanders (AP). 39.6 % of H, 57.3 % of B, 65.7 % of NHW, and 37 % of AP mothers were anemic, with significantly higher prevalence in NHW and B compared to H. 12.8 % of all anemia cases had moderately severe anemia (hematocrit<30 %). Body mass index was lower, and gravidity, hypertension, and Cesarean-section rates were higher in anemic mothers, while feeding difficulty, hospitalization duration, and Neonatal intensive care unit admission rate were higher in the neonates born to them. Mothers with moderately severe anemia were younger, had higher parity, and a higher prevalence of antepartum hemorrhage compared to the mild anemia group. Their offspring, although not small for gestational age, had lower birth weights. The adverse maternal-neonatal outcomes associated with anemia were less common in the Hispanic mother-infant dyads compared to the B and NHW.

Maternal anemia is associated with significant complications in term neonates and their mothers. There is a racial disparity in its prevalence and associated maternal-neonatal complications. The cultural-biological etiopathogenesis of this observation warrants further investigation. Optimization of antenatal care and targeted interventions could improve the outcomes and prevalence in at-risk populations.