Recurrent pregnancy losses vis-à-vis anemia and vitamin (Folate/B12) imbalance

Purpose Recurrent pregnancy losses (RPL), a major contributor of reproductive wastage, affect maternal health both physically and mentally. Folate and B12 (Vitamin B12) deficiency anemia is common in the reproductive age group women in developing countries like India. And due to proven role of folate in various maternal and fetal anomalies, women are routinely prescribed folic acid under various national policies. However, B12 supplementation is rare, despite known deleterious effects of its deficiency. The purpose of this paper is to understand RPL through anemia with special reference to folate and B12 imbalance. Design/methodology/approach Multiparous women with normal obstetric outcomes (n=135) and women with Idiopathic RPL (n=105) were recruited in the study. All women were non-pregnant and belonged to North Indian population. Hb, serum folate and B12 and plasma homocysteine were measured in all the women. Anemia was classified according to WHO guidelines (Hemoglobin (Hb)