The frequency of anemia in pregnancy and the effect of anemia on the travy process

Objective: This study was carried out to examine the frequency of anemia in pregnant women and the effect of anemia on the labor process. Materials and Methods: The research was carried out analytically and cross-sectionally between February 2022 and May 2023 in Aydın Gynecology and Pediatrics Hospital. The population of the study consisted of pregnant women who were admitted to this hospital to give birth, and the sample consisted of 317 pregnant women (n=317). The data were collected with the Pregnant Identification Form prepared by the researcher and the Pregnant and Newborn Follow-up Form in Labor. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test were used in the analysis of the data. Results: The mean age of the pregnant women participating in the study was 24.47±4.72, and 34.7% of them were secondary school graduates. The mean week of gestation of the pregnant women was 38.41±1.58 and the mean number of pregnancies was 1.26±0.52. It was determined that 90.9% of the pregnant women had health check-ups, 76% of them used iron pills during their pregnancy, and 56.2% of those who used iron pills regularly used the pills. During the labor process, 30.3% of the pregnant women underwent induction, 26.6% underwent crystals maneuver, and 84.4% underwent episiotomy. The mean time from the active phase to full dilation was 328.31±72.60 minutes, and the mean time from full dilation to delivery was 76.96±31.19 minutes, and it was determined that 95% of the pregnant women delivered vaginally. It was determined that 34.7% of the pregnant women had anemia and the average hemoglobin values of the pregnant women were 11.30 g/dl. Pregnant women are anemic during labor; It was found that it increased the induction, crystals maneuver applications, the incidence of meconium amnion, the latent phase fatigue level in pregnant women, oxygen administration in newborns, extended the time from full patency to delivery, and affected placental weight (p<0.05). The factors affecting the frequency of anemia were found to be the age, education status, family type, social security presence, employment status of themselves and their spouses, income level perceptions, weeks of pregnancy, place of health check-ups, regular health check-ups, use of iron pills and regular use of pills (p<0.05). Conclusion: As a result of our study, it was determined that approximately one third of the pregnant women had anemia, and it was found that anemia in pregnancy increased the applications such as induction and crystals maneuver at birth and oxygen administration to the newborn, decreased the weight of the placenta, increased fatigue during labor and may adversely affect the health of the newborn. Keywords: Anemia, Iron Deficiency Anemia, Midwifery Care, Pregnancy, Labor Process, Newborn