When a woman who was pregnant has been diagnosed with anemia, she can’t eat or drink, so she’s likely to have a heart attack or stroke in the weeks and months after delivery.
And even when she does eat, the amount she drinks could be dangerously high.
If she’s still having trouble absorbing enough calories, she could develop low blood pressure or a heart problem, the Associated Press reports.
That’s because while the amount of iron in a pregnant woman’s diet can be closely tracked, the levels in the blood of the baby’s mother can be higher than the mother’s.
That means the baby is more vulnerable to developing anemia.
But the problem can be mitigated if the mother consumes plenty of iron during pregnancy, the AP explains.
Here are some strategies to avoid developing anemic babies.
Keep food, drink, and exercise to a minimum: The AP explains that if a woman is already consuming a lot of iron, and her baby is developing anencephaly, the mother should reduce her iron intake to about 500 mg a day.
The AP goes on to say that women should also try to limit the amount they eat each day, especially if they’re breastfeeding, and to drink plenty of fluids.
The Associated Press also recommends that pregnant women avoid drinking alcohol or taking supplements.
Talk to your doctor about the possible risks to your baby: While it’s not always obvious, there’s a chance your baby could develop anemia and a heart or kidney problem because of a heart defect, says Dr. Susan Hirschfeld, a cardiologist at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
The mother’s blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and other factors can all change when her baby develops anencephalic or high blood pressure.
The condition can be difficult to diagnose because it can occur when the baby doesn’t have a normal amount of blood circulating through the body, which can cause swelling in the brain.
Hirschfield says that if she had a heart valve problem, for example, she’d be able to diagnose it.
If you have anencepalms, the baby could be affected by anemia as well, she says.
But it’s important to make sure your baby’s diet and physical activity are high enough to maintain the baby while being monitored for anemia at home.
If the baby has high blood levels of iron or iron-rich foods, like red meat, dairy, or seafood, she may also develop a blood disorder called erythropoietin deficiency, which is associated with an increased risk of developing an aortic aneurysm and having aortoscopic surgery.
This condition is caused by a deficiency in the body’s ability to use iron as a building block for oxygen-carrying cells.
Humble tips: If you’re worried that you may have anemia while pregnant, your doctor may want to examine your baby for anenceptics.
A baby with anenceptic symptoms can have high blood glucose and high levels of body fat, so the blood tests for iron are very useful in diagnosing anemia without a blood test.