المجلة الدولية للعلوم والتقنية

Iron deficiency anemia is one the most common types of anemia and among the most vulnerable groups are pregnant women. It occurs due to insufficient iron in the body to counteract the physiological changes that happen during pregnancy. This study aimed to find out the percentage of cases that have total anemia, and then to determine the rates of iron deficiency anemia among 500 randomly selected pregnant women. This study also, aimed to illustrate the effects of iron supplements, intake of stimulants and the number of times participants were pregnant on the amount of iron in the body. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Al-Galaa Hospital for obstetrics and gynecology in Tripoli from May 2008 to September 2008. A sample of 2.5 milliliters of blood were drawn from each case to estimate the hemoglobin (HB), hematocrit (HCT), Red blood cell count (RBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH). Each case also completed a questionnaire. This study showed that the incidence of anemia in pregnant women was 31.6%, with the incidence of iron deficiency anemia being 13.00%. The result showed that a large percentage of participants (68.0%) took iron supplements, and most of them (83.40 %) did not take stimulants (tea and coffee) with meals. Also; the number of times a participant was pregnant had no effect on iron deficiency anemia. The study concluded that the incidence of iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women was low. Keywords: Pregnant women, Iron deficiency anemia, Hemoglobin rate.