s Reenu Thakur, Assistant PRO (Chhattisgarh):
Blood deficiency has become a common health issue among the people.
It particularly affects young children and pregnant women. The decline of haemoglobin level in the blood to a certain level is called anemia in medical terms.
According to WHO, 42 percent of children under the age of 5, and 40 percent of pregnant women are anaemic worldwide. Thus anemia is a serious global public health problem of the current times.
Haemoglobin is made up of a protein called heme i.e. iron and globin (protein). It is an essential component of red blood cells.
Hemoglobin is needed in the body to carry oxygen to the tissues. If the haemoglobin in the blood is too low or the red blood cells are abnormal, the body’s ability to carry oxygen is reduced. Due to this, many symptoms like loss of appetite, fatigue, weakness, dizziness and shortness of breath start appearing.
What is anemia?
Anemia is a condition in which the number of red blood cells or the amount of haemoglobin in them is less than normal. The amount of hemoglobin required to meet physiological needs varies with age, sex, altitude of the place of residence, physical condition such as pregnancy, etc. Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of condition that mainly affects women.
Haemoglobin deficiency during pregnancy can cause complications during pregnancy due to high requirement of blood. The right amount of haemoglobin in the blood leads to proper physical and mental development of the child. The body remains fit and the mind remains agile, immunity increases.
Main symptoms of anemia
- Lack of redness in skin, face, tongue and eyes.
- Getting tired soon after working.
- Breathlessness or suffocation.
- Lack of concentration in work and forgetting things.
Dizziness - Loss of appetite
- Swelling of face and legs.
Causes and prevention of anemia
Anemia can have different causes in children, women and pregnant women. Recognizing the causes and taking measures can help one get rid of anemia.
- Major causes of anemia in children –
- From anemic mother at birth.
- Due to not giving breast milk within one hour of birth.
- Starting complementary foods too early or too late.
- Lack of iron elements in food.
- Having worms in the stomach.
- Lack of cleanliness.
Major causes of anemia in pregnant women-
- Lack of iron elements in food.
- Excessive bleeding during menstruation.
- Due to the need of more iron in the body during pregnancy.
- Pregnancy at a young age.
- When the gap between the birth of two children is less than two years.
- Due to abortion.
- Malaria or due to worms in the stomach.
- If there is high amount of fluorescein in drinking water.
- Lack of cleanliness.
Health problems caused by anemia
- Decreased mental and physical development of the child.
- Inability to concentrate on any work.
- Reduced ability to work hard.
- Increased risk of infection from disease.
- Excessive bleeding in menstruation.
- Chances of death during delivery.
- Low birth weight and anemia in the newborn.
Correct nutrition to prevent anemia
*Iron-rich foods should be consumed by all age groups for a healthy body and a sharp mind.
*Priority should be given to consumption of soybean, black gram and pulses like lentils, urad, arhar, gram etc. in food.
*Include leafy vegetables like amaranth, spinach, drumstick, *mustard, gram, colocasia, and fenugreek greens and onion buds and mint in daily diet.
*Eat other vegetables like raw banana, cilantro etc.
*Eat seeds like Ramdana and Sesame.
*If you are a non-vegetarian, eat eggs, meat, liver, fish etc.
Must eat
- Eating vitamin C rich foods along with iron rich food helps in better absorption of iron. Hence, cabbage, cauliflower, watermelon, orange, lemon, amla, tomato etc. should be consumed regularly.
- Yeast-rich or sprouted foods.
Important Measures for Pregnant Women
- To prevent anemia, take one red iron tablet daily from the month of pregnancy till 180 days (6 months) on the advice of the doctor.
- Continue to take the tablets even if you feel nauseous or nauseous, these side effects will not last long.
*Taking the iron tablet about one to two hours after a meal will reduce the side effects. - Never take it on an empty stomach. Do not take it with milk, tea, coffee or even with calcium tablets.
- To prevent stomach worms, take Albendazole tablet once in the second trimester of pregnancy.
- If you feel tired, struggle to pay attention to work, start forgetting important things or start feeling short of breath, then go to the nearest health center and get anemia checked and treated.
Stay away from
*Junk food and fried food.
- Soda, tea, coffee etc.
- Drugs.
The right amount of haemoglobin in the body is very important for the physical development of children. The first 3 minutes after birth are crucial for maintaining the lifelong amount of iron in the body.
For this, health workers are advised to cut the umbilical cord of the child only after 3 minutes of birth. After the baby is 6 months old, it is important to continue breastfeeding along with introducing complementary foods.
Give mashed complementary foods to the children, such as porridge, khichdi, curd, banana, mango, semolina kheer etc. Along with iron-rich food, it is also necessary to give iron supplements to children on time.
Feed Albendazole tablet twice a year to prevent worms in a child above 6 months of age. Do give a dose of folic acid syrup twice a week. Similarly, it is necessary for pregnant women to have the right amount of haemoglobin for a healthy child and safe delivery.
For this, they must take iron tablet, albendazole tablet and iron syrup as per medical advice. Keep in mind to never take iron syrup on an empty stomach.
Iron syrup and Albendazole tablet can be obtained free of cost from the nearest health center and anganwadi.
By taking iron tablets regularly, mother and child can avoid anemia and its danger. Similarly, lactating women should also take regular iron tablets for 6 months after delivery.