WHAT IS ANEMIA? It is a condition where the red blood cells in the blood fall below normal so the body gets less oxygen resulting in weakness. We are the red blood cells in your blood. We have an iron rich protein called Hemoglobin which carries Oxygen from the lungs to all parts of your body As oxygen is very essential for normal functioning of the body, it is important that our numbers and the oxygen carrier hemoglobin numbers do not reduce in your blood WHAT CAUSES ANEMIA? The most common form of anemia is because of Iron and folic acid deficiency. This happens usually when:  You lose lot of blood during menstrual periods  You have a diet that doesn’t have enough iron or folic acid  Sometimes pregnancy can be a cause as the foetus and mother might not have enough iron SYMPTOMS OF ANEMIA Fatigue Weakness Dizziness Shortness of breath Pale skin Irritability headache Rapid heart beat Feeling unusually cold But.. Aren’t these symptoms too general? True! But if these symptoms are recurring and you also have a loss of blood, or if you think you are pregnant it is best to check for anemia

WHAT DO THESE WOMEN HAVE IN COMMON?.. THEY COULD ALL BE ANEMIC Anemia during pregnancy is very dangerous and can result in miscarriage, or still births and sometimes death during childbirth As women lose blood during their monthly bleeding anemia is very often found in women who are between puberty and menopause TREATMENT AND PREVENTION Eggs Fish Peas Green leafy vegetables like spinach Beans and lentils Tomatoes Oranges Lemons Papaya Ladies fingers Eating the right diet is the best way to treat and prevent anemia Foods that are rich in iron and folic acid must be part of a woman’s diet. These foods are best eaten with those rich in Vitamin C, as Vitamin C helps in absorption of the iron and folic acid in the body. Iron and folic acid Vitamin C

TREATMENT AND PREVENTION Avoid drinking coffee or tea with food or with the iron and folic acid pill as it reduces absorption of iron and folic acid in the body. During pregnancy, remember to take the iron pills and folic acid pill if you are not getting enough of the two in your diet. Folic acid deficiency could cause birth defects in the newborn in addition to causing anemia. Space births at least 2 years apart. This will give your body a chance to store some iron between pregnancies. Drink clean boiled water to prevent infection from any parasites. If malaria, parasites or worms is causing your anemia treat those diseases first. But I thought if I eat the iron pills my newborn baby will be dark in color like the color of the iron tablet? No the color of the pill has no bearing on the color of your baby. Besides don’t you think a baby with dark skin is just as pretty as one with a light skin Remember to take the pill along with an orange or a lemon to add Vitamin C to increase iron absorption!