Anaemic during pregnancy? Here's why your baby's heart could be at risk

UK study finds that mums with anaemia early in pregnancy have a 47% higher chance of their babies being born with a heart condition. Here's why early care matters

If you’ve ever felt tired and low on energy, someone may have said, "You might be anaemic." That means your body doesn’t have enough iron to make healthy blood. But did you know that if a pregnant woman is anaemic early on, it might affect her baby’s heart? According to a study conducted on women in the UK, being anaemic during pregnancy could be linked to a 47 per cent higher chance of the child having a heart condition at birth.

 

The study, by researchers at the University of Oxford, titled Maternal anaemia and congenital heart disease in offspring: a case–control study using linked electronic health records in the United Kingdom, published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology on April 23, found anaemia, or iron deficiency, to be common among people with congenital heart disease, in which one has heart defects at birth affecting the organ’s function.

 

In the study, the researchers analysed health records of women who became pregnant between January 1998 and October 2020. Over 2,700 women participants had a child diagnosed with a congenital heart condition at birth, whereas 13,880 women did not. In line with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, haemoglobin levels were measured within the first 100 days of pregnancy. Among the children studied, more than 120 with congenital heart disease and 390 with normal cardiac function were found to have had anaemia. 

Mum’s anaemia in early pregnancy linked to baby heart issues 

A baby’s heart starts forming just 3 to 8 weeks after pregnancy begins. That’s early—before many people even realise they are pregnant. During this time, the growing baby needs lots of nutrients, especially iron, from the mother.

 

Anaemia happens when your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells or haemoglobin, which carries oxygen. In pregnancy, the World Health Organization (WHO) says anaemia is when haemoglobin drops below 110 grams per litre of blood.

 

Researchers said that women who were anaemic during the first 100 days of pregnancy were 47 per cent more likely to have a baby with congenital heart disease (CHD)—that’s when a baby is born with a problem in the structure of their heart.

 

CHD affects about 1 in every 100 babies and can mean the heart has trouble pumping blood the right way. Sometimes it needs surgery or lifelong care.

What does this mean for parents? 

Most anaemia in pregnancy is caused by not getting enough iron. The study suggests that giving iron supplements to women before and during early pregnancy could help reduce the risk of heart problems in babies.

 

The study couldn’t say for sure that iron deficiency was the only cause of anaemia in these cases. Other factors like folate or vitamin B12 could also play a role. Plus, the researchers couldn’t tell whether these mums were taking iron supplements or not.

 

In some parts of the world, more than half of pregnant women have anaemia. That means this discovery could help prevent a lot of baby heart conditions, especially in lower-income countries where nutrition might not always be ideal.

 

If you’re pregnant or trying to conceive, don’t skip those blood tests in early pregnancy. A simple check for anaemia and a bit of iron might make a big difference for your baby’s heart. 

 

For more health updates and wellness insights, follow #HealthWithBS