Hello and welcome to the Zero to Finals podcast.

My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be talking to you about postpartum anemia.

And you can find written notes on this topic at zero tofinals.com slash postnatal care

or in the postnatal care section of the zero to finals,

obstetrics and gynecology book. So let's get straight into it.

Postpartum anemia is defined as a hemoglobin of less than 100 grams per litre in the postpartum period.

Anemia is common after delivery due to the acute blood loss that occurs during labour and

delivery.

Most women lose some blood during delivery of the baby.

In complicated deliveries, cesarean sections and postpartum hemorrhage, women can lose upwards of 1.5 litres of blood.

It's essential to optimise the treatment of anemia during pregnancy so that women have optimal

hemoglobin and iron stores before delivery. Let's talk about the management of postpartum anemia.

A full blood count is checked the day after delivery if there's been postpartum hemorrhage

of more than 500 milliliters, a caesarean section, antinatal anemia or the woman is symptomatic of anemia.

Treatment of anemia is based on individual factors and preferences alongside the local guidelines.

As a rough guide and local policies will vary, in women with a hemoglobin of less than 100 grams per litre, start

oral iron, for example ferrous sulfate 200 milligrams three times daily for three months. When there's

a hemoglobin of less than 90 grams per liter, consider an iron infusion in addition to oral iron, and some types of iron

infusions are monifer, cosmophir, and ferringect. And when the hemoglobin is less than 70 grams

per litre, consider a blood transfusion in addition to oral iron. An iron infusion is also

considered in women that may have poor adherence to iron treatment, cannot tolerate oral iron

due to the side effects, and the key side effects to remember are very dark-colored stools and constipation,

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