Anaemia during pregnancy

Abstract

The main effects of pregnancy and postpartum anaemia (defined by the WHO as hemoglobin values < 110 g/l and < 100 g/l, respectively) are, for the mother, an increased susceptibility to infection and premature delivery and, for the baby, intrauterine growth retardation and the consequences of prematurity. Diagnosis and differential diagnosis are thus a major obstetric concern. Iron deficiency can be particularly difficult to diagnose in postpartum anaemia because ferritin is often falsely elevated due to intercurrent infection. Prevention with oral iron + folic acid supplementation has proven effective, as has intravenous iron in more severe cases, while the addition of recombinant erythropoietin augments the effect of iron alone.