Within the ongoing activities and scientific efforts of Al-Nahrain College of Medicine supported by solid scientific research based on the latest information, expertise, and medical experiments which are revolved around endemic disease in some countries of the world; “Anaemia”, which kills generations descended from parents affected by this fatal disease. And in this sense, and under the auspices of the Dean of Al-Nahrain College of Medicine, Prof. Dr. Alaa Ghani Hussein Mubarak, the Gynecology and Obstetrics Branch held a seminar about Anaemia during Pregnancy, Causes and Complications. This seminar was with the collaboration of the pharmaceutical company, (JULPHAR), and participation of a number of physicians specialized in Gynecology and Obstetrics from all medical institutions in Baghdad on Sunday 22/2/2015.
Assis. Prof. Dr. Hala AbdulKader began the seminar by presenting a topic talking about the "Effects of Anaemia during Pregnancy on the Mother and the Fetus". She explained that having iron supplements during pregnancy reduces the risk of getting anaemia among women, and increases weight of pregnant women, and according to the more than ninety international research study done by a number of researchers including more than two million pregnant women, they obviously found that having iron supplements by pregnant women daily decreases the danger of getting anaemia during pregnancy.
After that, L. Dr. Sahar Hisham AbdulRazaq presented a topic about "Anaemia Resulted from Iron Deficiency", where research showed clearly that anaemia during first or second three months of pregnancy accompanied by a significant increase in the risk of low birth weight and preterm delivery. In addition to this, the researchers found that each increase of 10 milligram of iron dose per day (up to 66 Mailgram), decreases the risk of anaemia in mothers by 12%,increases new baby born weight by 15% grams, and shrinks the risk of low weight at birth by 3%. The World Health Organization (WHO )recommends pregnant women to have 60 milligram of iron a day.
Assis. Prof. Dr. Enas Adnan Abdul Rasoul also participated in the seminar talking about thalassemia during pregnancy and its relationship with anaemia; where the studies and research carried out by researchers in the world have shown that lack of iron is the most common types of the undernutrition in the world; and the most more causes of anaemia during pregnancy, especially in countries with poor and middle-income.
L. Dr. Sahar Hassan Mushatat presented her subject, which was about sickle cell anaemia where the results of international studies about anaemia and having iron supplements by pregnant women might have been used as a preventative strategy to improve mothers health (anaemia state), and weight at birth.
The representative of pharmaceutical company JULPHAR presented a brief lecture about the treatment of anaemia by using Veromax. Then a debate has been opened between the professors and the audience of specialists discussing the same topic anaemia. They out came with many recommendations include that:
• Anaemia is very common diseases during pregnancy and in view of its importance; the committee recommends to make clinical tests to figure out the cases of anaemia, Sickle Cell Anaemia, and Thalassemia before marriage as a routine test with complete blood test.
• Treatment of anaemia in the community through the adoption of supplying flour with iron and folic acid as is the case known in other countries.
• The program of giving iron as a preventive or therapeutic treatment at schools should be for children and students aged 6-18 years and for women, in pregnancy and birth, as weekly doses of iron in health centres.
Edited by : Uras Fawzi
Photographer: Ahmed Aboud