Archive for February 5th, 2009

Odd cravings point to iron-deficiency

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

In my field of work most common problem of pregnant women is anemia. I did about 15 prenatal check-up and 70 % of them are anemic. There is what we call physiologic anemia which means it is normal for pregnant women that their iron or hemoglobin level is lowered during pregnancy. It is called in medical terms “Physiologic anemia”. People with iron-deficiency anemia may develop strong cravings to eat dirt, rice, ice, paint, starch, raw potatoes or tomatoes. Such cravings are called pica (PIE-Kuh). If you experience an unusual craving, tell your doctor about it. A simple blood test can show whether you have an iron deficiency. Other symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia include fatigue, pallor, cracks in the sides of your mouth and brittle nails. They also complain of difficulty of breathing by just walking a short distance. We are doing our best to help them to have their hemoglobin level with in normal limits.