‘Difficult to get blood donors for pregnant women’

LUCKNOW:Pregnant women find it difficult to get blood donors during the time of delivery. The data shows that over 20% of pregnant women have to depend on help from outside the family when they land in such a situation because of poor haemoglobin level at the time of delivery.

Gauging the situation, the blood bank at KGMU issues blood requisition cards to the department of obstetrics and gynaecology so that any pregnant woman in need of blood, who does not find a donor, can get it without delay.

“On an average one such card is used every day as the women do not find a donor. On some occasions, two cards are used,” said Prof Tulika Chandra, HoD transfusion medicine at the KGMU. She said that lack of awareness among family members and also poor nutrition are two major factors for such a situation.

Often women are admitted with haemoglobin level as low as 6 and in such a condition the doctor can advise blood transfusion to make sure nothing goes wrong during delivery. It has been found that often families are confused over blood donation and based upon myths, they refuse to donate blood making some excuse.

Doctors say blood donation can be done by any adult healthy person and it has benefits for the donor also. “The donated blood is screened for several infections and in case any such thing is detected, the donor is informed and can get treatment, which otherwise would not have been revealed unless the disease showed some symptoms,” said Prof Chandra.

The situation is even worse where blood banks are not attached to the hospital as relatives have to go far off for blood. “If poor count of haemoglobin is detected during first trimester, proper diet can help raise the level but majority of the women do not get it,” said Prof Chandra. “Proper diet for three or four months can really help raise haemoglobin,” she said.