Maternal anaemia after delivery: prevalence and risk factors

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of postpartum anaemia and determine the clinical risk factors for this condition to provide a viable alternative to postpartum haemoglobin measurement. In total, 1415 patients at Hospital Universitario del Tajo, Madrid, who underwent postpartum haemoglobin testing were included, and risk factors for having an Hb level <10 g/dl were determined. We found that 29% of the mothers were anaemic, and birth canal lacerations, caesarean delivery, episiotomy and South American origin were identified as the main risk factors for this condition. When we examined the performance of each risk factor alone in the prediction of postpartum anaemia, none of them achieved a sensitivity of 30%. Selective screening of women who had any of these five risk factors resulted in 23% of cases remaining unidentified. Despite the high incidence and disease burden of this condition, the management of puerperal anaemia is not standardised, and this condition is not easy to predict. Universal screening should be considered in high-prevalence settings.