Association between Iron Deficiency Anemia and Preterm Labour among Pregnant Women in the population under study

Authors

  • Rubba Batool
  • Sofia Tariq
  • Hiba Anjum
  • Kanwal Atif
  • Aayenoor Atif
  • Azra Kazmi

Keywords:

Iron deficiency anemia, preterm labour, pregnancy, maternal health, risk factors

Abstract

Background:Iron deficiency anemia is a common condition in pregnancy and has been associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Its role as a risk factor for preterm labour is of particular concern, especially in low‑resource settings.

Objective:To determine the association between iron deficiency anemia and preterm labour among pregnant women.

Study design: Case control study

Duration and Place of study: This study was conducted in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Lahore from January 2024 to June 2024

Methods :A total of 60 pregnant women were recruited using a non‑probability consecutive sampling technique. The study included 30 cases presenting with preterm labour and 30 controls presenting with term labour. Detailed clinical and obstetric histories were taken, and venous blood samples were collected to assess haemoglobin and ferritin levels. Anemia was defined as a haemoglobin level of <10 g/dL. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated, and data were analysed using SPSS version 20.0.

Results:The mean age of participants was 28.51±4.76 years, with a mean gestation of 32.50±1.94 weeks in cases and 39.20±1.56 weeks in controls. The mean haemoglobin level was significantly lower in the preterm labour group (8.40±1.71 g/dL) compared to the term labour group (10.10±2.02 g/dL). Anemia was observed in 63.9% of preterm labour cases versus 36.1% of controls, yielding an OR of 4.29 (95% CI), indicating a significant association between maternal anemia and preterm labour.

Conclusion: The study confirms that maternal iron deficiency anemia is significantly associated with an increased risk of preterm labour. Early screening, timely treatment, and targeted antenatal interventions may reduce the incidence of preterm births and improve maternal–neonatal outcomes

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Published

2025-08-18

How to Cite

1.
Batool R, Tariq S, Anjum H, Atif K, Atif A, Kazmi A. Association between Iron Deficiency Anemia and Preterm Labour among Pregnant Women in the population under study. J Neonatal Surg [Internet]. 2025Aug.18 [cited 2025Sep.21];14(5):421-6. Available from: https://jneonatalsurg.com/index.php/jns/article/view/8907

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 5 (2025): Journal of Neonatal Surgery

Section

Original Article

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