A STUDY ON IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA AND HEMATOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES AROUND DELIVERY IN WOMEN OF DIFFERENT SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND AGE GROUPS

SUMMARY: This study was conducted on pregnant women admitted to various hospitals of Faisalabad for delivery. They were randomly divided into 3 socio-economic groups (low, middle and high) and each group was further subdivided into 3 age groups of 33 years of patients. The study revealed an overall higher (p<0.05) birth weight of newborn of those born to women of middle socio-economic groups than low and high. Overall mean RBC (106/µL), PCV (Packed Cell Volume) (%), Hb (g/dL), TLC (Thin Layer Chromatography) (103/µL), iron (µg/dL), MCV (fL), MCH (pg) and MCHC (g/dL) were 4.00, 34.49, 9.69, 8.9, 212.02, 90.23, 25.63 and 28.80 before delivery, while 4.10, 34.45, 8.73, 10.36, 173.36, 89.77, 22.96 and 25.93, after delivery, respectively. Overall RBC count and PCV showed non-significant difference pre-and post delivery among socio-economic groups and age groups. After delivery overall TLC was significantly higher (p<0.05) but before delivery it was significantly higher (p<0.05) in women of middle than high socio-economic group. Before delivery, overall, Hb, MCH and MCHC were significantly higher (p<0.05) in women of each socio-economic group. Overall, serum iron was higher and RBC showed positive correlation with birth weight (r=0.28, p<0.005) before delivery.