Impact of Maternal anaemia on neonatal outcomes: An Asian systematic Review

Abstract

The role of maternal anaemia in preterm birth remains poorly defined, and the association between anaemia and preterm birth clinical subtypes remain unclear. The occurrence of maternal anaemia is common in Asian countries which increase the risk of adverse maternal obstetric and birth outcomes. This may adversely affect the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals’. The study involved a systematic review from internet databases such as Pubmed and CINHAL in order to determine effects of maternal anaemia on neonatal outcomes and make a suggestion for future interventions. Following that, databases were accessed to conduct a more detailed search of the literature using key phrases and Boolean operators to create articles pertinent to the issue. 1732 records identified.  The duplicates and those not matching with the criteria were excluded. 8 articles were filtered using an inclusion/exclusion criterion. The results emerged that maternal anaemia increases the risk of low birth weight, preterm birth and perinatal mortality.  Proper nutrition before and during pregnancy, iron supplements, and screening of anaemia during pregnancy, are recommended to improve maternal health and to control higher proportions of LBW, PTB, and perinatal mortality in Asia