The impact of inadequate prenatal care on maternal anemia and pregnancy outcomes in Romania.

Abstract

Prenatal care aims to ensure the well-being of both mother and baby by closely watching for potential problems and addressing them promptly. A lack of such care often stems from a combination of issues, including financial hardship, limited education, challenges in accessing healthcare, inadequate medical services, and insufficient social support. The study aimed to assess how iron supplements given during prenatal care affect the prevalence of anemia and whether lack of prenatal care leads to increased maternal and fetal morbidity. This analysis is based on the retrospective evaluation of medical data from 125 patients admitted to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Sf. Pantelimon Hospital in Bucharest, Romania, from August 2024 to February 2025. The parameters considered in this study include prenatal care access, mode of delivery, antepartum anemia and its severity, iron supplementation, postpartum anemia and the necessity of blood transfusions, and length of hospitalization. The link between prenatal care and reduced antepartum anemia underscores the importance of monitoring during pregnancy to mitigate risks. Postpartum hemoglobin levels were significantly higher in patients who received prenatal care, leading to a decrease in severe and moderate anemia cases. Additionally, prenatal care was associated with shorter hospital stays for newborns. Comprehensive prenatal care demonstrably enhanced both maternal and neonatal prognoses across the continuum of pregnancy and the puerperium, thereby contributing to a significant reduction in rates of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality.