The Erythrocyte Morphology of Pregnant Women with Undernutrition who Live in Archipelago Dry Land, Kupang City, East Indonesia

The prevalence of undernutrition of pregnant women remains high in Indonesia, and also deficiency of micronutrition such as iron, folic acid, or vitamin B which affected low level of hemoglobin. The insufficient hemoglobin levels in erythrocytes could disturb delivery oxygen needed to the tissues and fetus as well. The occurrence of anemia in pregnant women varies depending on diet, infections, lifestyle, environment, and socioeconomic factors. This study aims to describe the erythrocyte morphology of pregnant women in Kupang City, located in a dry island region. The research involved 24 pregnant women living in Kupang City, using a cross-sectional observational method. The results of erythrocyte morphology from peripheral blood smears showed that 12 subjects (50%) had microcytic hypochromic anemia and 1 subject (4.2%) had microcytic normochromic anemia. This indicates that, based on erythrocyte morphology, nutritional deficiencies and the possibility of chronic inflammation among pregnant women are still very high. Geographical background could be a predisposing factor for this anemia. Continuous education about adequate and balanced nutrition for pregnant women and further investigations to determine the etiology of inflammation are greatly needed.