Recent research published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia shows that Indian women with anaemia during pregnancy face a significantly higher chance of stillbirth after the 28th week of gestation.
Key Developments
- Women with moderate‑to‑severe anaemia at any point in pregnancy have a 27% higher risk of stillbirth after 28 weeks.
- Severe anaemia can triple the stillbirth risk, while moderate anaemia raises it by 1.2‑fold.
- Stillbirths among severely anaemic mothers tend to occur around the 29th week, compared with the 31st week for other mothers.
- The study analysed data from the ICMR‑SPIC dataset, covering 2,14,709 singleton pregnancies.
Important Facts
The dataset included 1,08,982 women (52%) with haemoglobin under 10 g/dL. Overall, there were 3,595 stillbirths, representing 1.7% of the pregnancies. Researchers from the University of Oxford, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the Indian Institute of Public Health Bengaluru collaborated on the analysis.
Authors note that evidence linking maternal anaemia to stillbirth in India has been limited; this large, multi‑cohort study fills that gap.
Exam Relevance
Understanding the anaemia‑stillbirth link is crucial for several UPSC topics:
- Public‑health policy: Highlights the need for robust antenatal care programmes under the National Health Mission.
- Maternal and child health indicators: Directly affects Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 targets on reducing neonatal mortality.
- Health financing: Emphasises allocation of resources for iron‑folic acid supplementation and screening.
- Research and data‑driven policy: Demonstrates the role of large‑scale cohort studies (ICMR‑SPIC) in shaping interventions.
Way Forward
Policy makers should prioritize comprehensive anaemia prevention and treatment at all stages of pregnancy. Suggested actions include:
- Universal haemoglobin screening during early antenatal visits.
- Scaling up iron‑folic acid supplementation and dietary counselling.
- Targeted interventions for high‑risk groups, especially in states with high anaemia prevalence.
- Strengthening data collection through platforms like SPIC to monitor progress.
- Research into genetic or non‑modifiable causes of anaemia to design alternative strategies.
Addressing this modifiable risk factor can substantially lower stillbirth rates, contributing to better maternal‑child health outcomes in India.