Students attend a seminar on women’s health and anaemia on the Patna Women’s College College premises on Friday. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Patna, Jan. 7: Patna Women’s College organised a seminar — Women’s Health and Anaemia — on the college premises today.

Speaker at the seminar gynaecologist Anju Sinha said women should get tested for anaemia every five to 10 months so that their children do not get the disease through birth.

Prevention is better than cure seemed to be the key to today’s seminar as it dealt with the ways through which women could maintain a healthy lifestyle and stay away from diseases like anaemia.

Dr Sinha, citing a World Health Organisation (WHO) survey, spoke on the need for a reproductive healthcare intervention for women in India so that anaemia is not transmitted to their children.

The WHO survey states anaemia is a serious health hazard in the country. Indiaranks 53 in the infant mortality rate worldwide.

Dr Sinha said while 30.2 per cent women are anaemic globally, the figure touches 41.8 per cent in case of pregnant women. “In India, anaemia should not be underestimated. It is the cause behind the high infant mortality rate and 20 per cent maternal mortality rate. National Family Health Survey states that 56 per cent of girls between 15 and 24 are anaemic in the country and the rural areas are more affected than the urban areas,” said Dr Sinha.

While anaemia can affect a child’s physical growth, mental development and lead to lack of concentration, the symptoms that are manifested in adults are weakness, dizziness, headache, trauma, palpitation and others. Dr Sinha said symptoms of anaemia are best detected early in pregnancies as it can be cured in the early stages. Late detection can carry the disease to the child in the womb and also lead to several complications as the pregnancy advances.

She told the students present at the seminar about the two types of anaemia — physiological anaemia, which occurs during pregnancy, and pathological anaemia that can be caused because of various diseases like nutritional deficiencies and congenital diseases.

Dr Sinha, elaborating on anaemia, said: “If a person’s haemoglobin is between 7 and 10.9gm, he or she has moderate anaemia, while if it is between 4 and 6.9gm he or she is severely affected. A moderately affected person should take 100mg elementary iron twice a day while a severely affected anaemic should take it thrice.”

She added if the pills lead to side effects, they should be immediately stopped.”

Faculty members of the college, Shefali Roy and Amita Jaiswal were also present at the seminar.