Introduction:

Anemia and low birth weight are important public health problems.

Objective:

To determine the association between anemia in pregnant women with high-risk maternal age and low birth weight.

Methods:

A non-experimental, retrospective, cross-sectional, analytical, case-control study was carried out. In the period from October to December 2019, a total of 312 pregnant women with high-risk maternal age (adolescent and elderly pregnant women) were registered, of which 72 were anemic (hb <11 g / dl). To improve the statistical power, the relationship between cases and controls was established as 1: 2, with the number of controls or non-anemic pregnant women with high-risk maternal age 142. General characteristics were analyzed by group of anemic pregnant women and not anemic, and its association with high-risk maternal age. The association of anemia in adolescent and elderly pregnant women with low birth weight was determined using the Chi-square test and Odds ratio.

Results:

Among the variables studied, anemic pregnant women had a higher frequency of nulliparity and vaginal delivery, and a lower frequency of a history of abortion and adequate prenatal control. Adolescent pregnant women with anemia were not associated with a higher risk of low birth weight (p = 0.056). Elderly pregnant women with anemia were associated with a 6 times higher risk of low birth weight (95% CI: 2.219 to 18.026; p <0.001).

Conclusions:

Elderly pregnant women have a higher risk of presenting low birth weight problems.

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