Review Iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy Expert Rev. Obstet. Gynecol. 8(6), 587–596 (2013) Christian Breymann Anemia is a common problem in obstetrics and perinatal care. Any hemoglobin (Hb) below Department of Obstetrics and 10.5 g/dl can be regarded as true anemia regardless of gestational age. Main cause of Gynaecology, University Hospital Zurich, anemia in obstetrics is iron deficiency, which has a worldwide prevalence between estimated Obstetric Research, Feto-Maternal 20 and 80% of especially female population. Stages of iron deficiency are depletion of iron Haematology Research Group, stores, iron-deficient erythropoiesis without anemia and iron-deficiency anemia, the most Schmelzbergstr 12 /PF 125, Zurich, Switzerland pronounced form of iron deficiency. Pregnancy anemia can be aggravated by various
[email protected] conditions such as uterine or placental bleedings, gastrointestinal bleedings and peripartum blood loss. Beside the general consequences of anemia, there are specific risks during pregnancy for the mother and the fetus such as intrauterine growth retardation, prematurity, feto-placental miss-ratio and higher risk for peripartum blood transfusion. Beside the importance of prophylaxis of iron deficiency, main therapy options for the treatment of pregnancy anemia are oral iron and intravenous iron preparations. KEYWORDS: anemia • intravenous iron • iron deficiency • iron therapy • pregnancy The review focuses on the clinical, diagnostic requirement during that period [3,4].Ifweextrap- and therapeutic aspects of gestational disorder olate from the high prevalence rates of anemia of in mothers, with its far-reaching consequences pregnancy in developing countries and from the for the intrauterine development of the fetus observed relationship between iron deficiency and neonate.