Users' questions

Can you get pregnant with pernicious anemia?

Can you get pregnant with pernicious anemia?

Though rarely encountered in women of childbearing age, untreated pernicious anemia has been found to be a cause of infertility. Once treated, conception often occurs within months.

What is pernicious anemia in pregnancy?

Pernicious anemia is a rare blood disorder characterized by the inability of the body to properly utilize vitamin B12, which is essential for the development of red blood cells. Most cases result from the lack of the gastric protein known as intrinsic factor, without which vitamin B12 cannot be absorbed.

Can I have B12 injections while pregnant?

Also, because the Hydroxocobalamin version of the B-12 shot is a natural form of the vitamin, it is perfectly safe to receive during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Moms who are strict vegetarians or vegans and are breastfeeding are at a higher risk for Vitamin B-12 deficiency.

What does it mean to have pernicious anemia?

When your body can’t make enough healthy red blood cells because it lacks vitamin B-12, you have pernicious anemia (PA). A long time ago, this disorder was believed to be fatal (“pernicious” means deadly). These days it’s easily treated with B-12 pills or shots.

What do you need to know about anemia during pregnancy?

Types of Anemia During Pregnancy. Folate is the vitamin found naturally in certain foods like green leafy vegetables A type of B vitamin, the body needs folate to produce new cells, including healthy red blood cells. During pregnancy, women need extra folate. But sometimes they don’t get enough from their diet.

Why do people with pernicious anemia not get enough vitamin B12?

Vitamin B12 is a nutrient found in some foods. The body needs this nutrient to make healthy red blood cells and to keep its nervous system working properly. People who have pernicious anemia can’t absorb enough vitamin B12 from food. This is because they lack intrinsic (in-TRIN-sik) factor, a protein made in the stomach.

Do you need replacement therapy for pernicious anaemia?

So therefore they will not have Pernicious Anaemia any more. But the fact is that they will need replacement therapy B12, preferably in a form that by-passes their stomach, for life. They will always need B12 and their treatment should never be stopped. Here’s what the latest Guidelines from the British Committee for Standards in Haematology state: