Regional Disparities in Maternal Blood Parameters during Pregnancy: A Comparative Analysis across Four Provinces of Pakistan

Abstract

 Objective: A comparative analysis of hemoglobin (HB), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and ferritin levels among pregnant women from all four provinces in Pakistan: Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan.

Methods: It was a Cross-sectional Observational study. The study was conducted at four centers in Karachi, Quetta, Kharian and Mardan Pakistan for 1 year from 1^St Feb 2022 to 31st Jan 2023. Maternal blood parameters were measured and compared across different regions of Pakistan to identify potential regional differences due to factors such as ethnicity, socio-economic status, and other factors.

Results: The mean hemoglobin levels were 10.95 g/dL in Balochistan, 11.04 g/dL in KPK, 10.82 g/dL in Punjab, and 10.36 g/dL in Sindh. The mean MCV values was 80.56 FL in Balochistan, 79.70 FL in KPK, 77.94 FL in Punjab, and 80.89 FL in Sindh. The mean serum ferritin levels were 16.00 ng/mL in Balochistan, 23.84 ng/mL in KPK, 33.92 ng/mL in Punjab, and 20.93 ng/mL in Sindh.

Conclusions: Overall, the results showed significant variation in the mean values for the different variables across the four provinces. We also noticed that gestational anemia is very common health issue all over Pakistan. This study provides valuable insights into regional differences in maternal blood parameters during pregnancy in Pakistan and may help in the development of regionally targeted interventions to address maternal anaemia.

Keywords: Gestational Anaemia, Pregnancy, Iron Deficiency Anemia, Maternal Health