28.5%, Brunei Darussalam 28.0%, Malaysia 26.6%,
and Vietnam at 23.5% (
Mothers during pregnancy, really need a lot of
nutrition, especially the need for iron, the need for
iron plays an active role in the formation of
hemoglobin in the mother's blood, this is closely
related to growth and health between mother and
fetus (Sulung, 2018).
Anemia on pregnancy which is most often
found is due to too few healthy red blood cells
because too little iron levels in the body (iron
deficiency) and acute bleeding are not even rare both
are interrelated (Leveno, 2009). Anemia that occurs
during pregnancy is a nutritional disorder as a result
of incorrect eating patterns in pregnant women
(Ojofeitimi, 2008). Handling is usually done to
overcome anemia in pregnant women is to give 60
mg of Fe tablets and 50 nanograms of folic acid
during pregnancy (Dinkes Sumut, 2013).
A mother who is often pregnant has the risk of
anemia in subsequent pregnancies if he does not pay
attention to nutritional needs. A mother with a first
pregnancy can also be at risk of anemia because they
do not have experience so that it impacts on
behavior related to nutritional intake (Madhavi,
2011).
During pregnancy, there is an increase in iron
requirements to 1000 mg. As much as 300 mg is
used for the fetus and placenta, 500 mg for Hb
production and 200 mg is lost through the digestive
tract, urine and skin. Hemoglobin is very important
in the transport of oxygen, because it has the ability
to bind with oxygen to form oxyhemoglobin. This
bonding ability is influenced by blood pH and
temperature. Iron is the main element in the
formation of hemoglobin. An adult's body contains
about 50 mg of iron per 100 ml of blood. The total
requirement for iron is between 2-6 grams,
depending on body weight and hemoglobin levels.
The hormone that is important in the formation of
red blood cells is the erythropoietin hormone. Iron
absorption occurs in the stomach, duodenum and
upper jejunum. Erosive esophagitis, gastric,
duodenal ulcer, cancer and colonic adenoma will
affect iron absorption (Tanto, 2014).
Anemia prevention program carried out by the
government is to give blood-added tablets, which are
Fe preparations which aim to reduce the number of
anemia in infants, hamill mothers, postpartum
mothers, adolescent girls, and WUS (Fertile Age
Women). Prevention of anemia in pregnant women
is carried out by giving 90 Fe tablets to pregnant
women during the pregnancy period. The target of
giving Fe as many as 90 tablets does not reach
100%. The difficulty faced by the government is the
compliance of pregnant women in consuming blood-
boosting tablets (North Sumatra Health Office,
2013). This could be due to the ignorance of
pregnant women about the importance of Fe tablets
during pregnancy. This iron therapy can be
combined with herbal therapy which is usually very
popular with the public (Nuraysih, 2015).
Iron is part of the hemoglobin molecule, with the
reduction of iron, the synthesis of hemoglobin will
decrease and result in decreased hemoglobin levels.
Decreased hemoglobin levels affect the ability to
deliver oxygen to all body tissues so as to reduce
work productivity or reduce the ability to
concentrate (Depkes RI, 2010)
Iron is a substance that is difficult for the body to
absorb. Therefore, the administration of Fe tablets
alone is less effective in increasing hemoglobin
levels, especially if the mother is not compliant to
consume Fe tablets. Complementary therapy is an
alternative therapy used together or in addition to
conventional medicine (Vitahealth, 2006).
Iron is a substance that is difficult to be absorbed
by the body so vitamin C is needed so that iron can
be absorbed optimally. This is consistent with the
results of Zulaekah's research which states that
supplementation with iron and vitamin C is more
effective in increasing hemoglobin levels and red
blood cell counts than administration of iron alone
or vitamin C alone. One of the fruits that have
vitamin C and compounds useful for health is
tomatoes. . The content of tomatoes in 180 grams is
24.6 mg of vitamin, 0.49 mg of iron, and 27 mcg of
folic acid (The George Mateljan Foundation, 2010).
In additiontomatoes, spinach also contains iron
to prevent anemia. Iron content in green spinach.
Iron is important for the formation of hemoglobin.
hemoglobin to carry oxygen throughout the body,
including the placenta. Red spinach and green
spinach do not differ in terms of nutritional quality,
only red spinach has anthocyan pigment that is not
found in green spinach. There are differences in iron
content in red spinach and spinach which is 2.2 mg /
100 grams and 3.9 mg / 100 grams (Lingga, 2010).
At present, there are 14T in MCH services at
ANC, one of which is anemia examination. This
program has the support of the government to
provide additional iron for pregnant women, in the
form of Fe tablets, but in fact in the field, there are
still many pregnant women who are still lazy to
consume it, even many who do not know. With this,
herbal alternatives might be more able to replace
iron nutrients and more attractive to mothers
(Sulung, 2018).