A SURVEY OF THE INCIDENCE OF MEGALOBLASTIC ANAEMIA OF PREGNANCY AND THE PUERPERIUM IN EUROPEAN WOMEN LIVING IN SINGAPORE, WITH SOME OBSERVATIONS ON ANAEMIA IN PREGNANCY IN THIS GROUP

Abstract

1. A review of hospital records at the British Military Hospital, Singapore, suggested a lower incidence of megaloblastic anaemia of pregnancy and the puerperium in the wives of British servicemen living in Singapore, than would be expected from the findings of the incidence in Great Britain. 2. A survey of pregnancy in the wives of British servicemen was undertaken to determine the incidence of the disease in this group. As a corollary to the investigation, it is possible to study the haemoglobin concentrations found during pregnancy in the group. 3. An enquiry was made into the nutrition of the group. 4. A total of 282 pregnant women were studied. No case of megaloblastic anaemia was detected in the 132 of these delivered at the time of completion of the report. Megaloblastic anaemia is said to occur in England as a complication of at least 2.8% of all confinements, but the numbers delivered in the present study were too small to exclude the differing incidence due to chance. 5. The group studied appeared to have a high standard of nutrition. The importance of nutrition in relation to the development of megaloblastic anaemia of pregnancy is discussed. 6. When the results of haemoglobin estimations were compared with some English studies it was found that the group investigated in this study had a low mean haemoglobin concentration in each period of pregnancy. Some possible interpretations of this findings are discussed, it being suggested that an excessive increase in blood volume and/or an iron deficiency resulting from dermal losses of iron many be important factors resulting the low mean haemoglobin concentrations observed. 7. Further work is suggested to clarify the findings of the study.