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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Glob. Women’s Health

Sec. Maternal Health

Common Symptoms in Pregnancy and Their Correlations with Abnormal Hematological Markers

Provisionally accepted
Yi Cheng HouYi Cheng Hou1*Lu Lu ZhaoLu Lu Zhao2Ying Guang ZhangYing Guang Zhang3Jing Hui WuJing Hui Wu1Chi Hui BaiChi Hui Bai4
  • 1Department of Nutrition, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan
  • 2Department of Pediatrics, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
  • 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Tzu-Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu-Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan
  • 4Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

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Introduction: Anemia is a common health problem that affects all age groups, yet it is particularly prevalent in women of reproductive age. Some symptoms of anemia may be misinterpreted as symptoms related to pregnancy. We aim to explore the association between common symptoms present during pregnancy and clinical anemia. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 187 women who were recruited during their pregnancy, along with 37 of their infants. Results: A higher percentage of those who reported symptoms of anemia, such as tiredness and dizziness, were identified to have clinical anemia (20.7% in mildly anemic individuals and 10.0% in moderately anemic individuals, p=0.023). Bloating (31.0% in mildly anemic individuals, 70.0% in moderately anemic individuals) and heartburn (17.0% in mildly anemic individuals) were also more common in mothers who experienced anemia during pregnancy. However, these differences did not reach statistical significance (p=0.65 and p=0.052, respectively). Conclusion: Self-perceived anemia symptoms were reported more frequently among pregnant individuals with clinical anemia. These findings suggest that when anemia symptoms are present, anemia screening should be performed whenever possible to confirm the presence of clinical anemia. This may facilitate early detection and intervention to mitigate the negative effects of anemia on the mother and fetus alike.

Keywords: Anemia, Pregnancy, Hemoglobin, Dietary iron, Symptoms

Received: 02 Jan 2025; Accepted: 30 Nov 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Hou, Zhao, Zhang, Wu and Bai. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Yi Cheng Hou

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Supplementary Material