Malaria and anaemia in pregnancy: importance, detection and prevention [Thesis]

A study was undertaken in order to determine the prevalenc and aetiology of anaemia in pregnancy in coastal Kenya, so as to establish locally important causes and enable the development of appropriate intervention strategies. 275 women attending the antenatal clinic at Kilifi District Hopsital, were recruited in November 1993. The prevalence of anaemia (haemoglobin [Hb) <IIg/dl) was 75.6%, and the prevalence of severe anaemia (Hb <7g/dl) was 9.8% among all parities. 15.3% of 73 primigravidae were severely anaemic, compared with 7.9% of 202 multigravidae (p=0.07).