Mild anemia is normal during pregnancy due to an increase in blood volume more severe anemia however can put your baby at higher risk for anemia later in infancy in addition if you are significantly anemic during your first two trimesters you are at greater risk for having a pre term delivery or low birth weight baby being anemic also burdens the mother by increasing the risk of blood loss during labor and making it more difficult to fight infections. Anemia is a condition which not only directly complicates pregnancy but also predisposes pre eclampsia hypertension in pregnancy and also lowers the tolerance to even normal bleeding during. Obviously severe anemia has adverse effects on the mother and the fetus there is also evidence that less severe anemia is associated with poor pregnancy outcome the cause of this association has yet to be elucidated it is important however to diagnose and treat anemia in pregnancy to provide for optimal health of the mother and infant. Folate deficiency anemia in pregnancy folate deficiency increases risk of neural tube defects and possibly fetal alcohol syndrome deficiency occurs in 05 to 15 of pregnant women megaloblastic macrocytic anemia is present if deficiency is moderate or severe rarely severe anemia and glossitis occur