Abstract

Background: Maternal anemia is a common condition during pregnancy and has been associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes, including preterm delivery and low birth weight (LBW).Objective: To evaluate the association between the severity of maternal anemia and neonatal birth weight.

Methods: A retrospective observational comparative study was conducted among 2079 women who delivered at Bahrain Defence Force Hospital between January and June 2021. Patients were categorized according to World Health Organization hemoglobin classifications into normal (>11 g/dL), mild anemia (10–10.9 g/dL), moderate anemia (7–9.9 g/dL), and severe anemia (<7 g/dL). Maternal demographics, obstetric characteristics, and neonatal outcomes were compared between groups.

Result: Normal hemoglobin levels were observed in 68.7%, mild anemia in 20.1%, and moderate-to-severe anemia in 11.2%. Mean neonatal birth weight was similar across all groups (3.1 ± 0.5–0.6 kg; P= 0.21). However, women with moderate-to-severe anemia delivered at an earlier gestational age and had higher rates of preterm delivery before 37 weeks (P=0.004).

Conclusion: Maternal anemia severity was not significantly associated with neonatal birth weight in this cohort. However, lower maternal hemoglobin levels were associated with earlier delivery and increased rates of preterm birth.