Women with Postpartum Anemia

As we head into 2008 it’s time to get your health in check. If you are low on energy or feel overly tired or weak—you could be suffering from iron deficiency anemia—especially if you are a new mom.

As many as one in five women will suffer from excessive blood loss during their reproductive years. This causes a condition called anemia, which can have debilitating physical and emotional effects. Of the approximately 4 million women who give birth each year, about 2 million become iron deficient, and more than 1 million will suffer from postpartum anemia

“Postpartum anemia not only affects maternal mood, thinking and behavior – but can also have adverse effects on the baby and has been shown to cause developmental delay, said Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, clinical professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine and author of A Women’s Guide to Sexual Health.

Infants of mothers who are anemic at 10 weeks postpartum have been shown to experience developmental delay; moreover, these early deficits in infants may not be reversible by subsequent successful treatment of the mother’s anemia.

Despite the high prevalence, iron deficiency anemia tends to go unrecognized and under-diagnosed because many women assume that it’s normal to feel tired, weak or irritable, particularly when you have a new baby. Women with postpartum anemia need more blood transfusions, longer hospital stays and more emergency department visits. Studies to date indicate current methods for quantifying blood loss during delivery often under-estimate the severity of blood loss in conditions associated with pregnancy and postpartum-related bleeding, such as postpartum hemorrhage. For these reasons, many women are at risk for developing postpartum anemia (sounds like something is missing here?) may not be adequately screened prior to discharge or during the postpartum period.

“The good news is that anemia is treatable once it is diagnosed,” said Dr. Minkin.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, multiple births are on the rise so it’s even more important for women to get checked out. This is especially true for African-American and Hispanic women, who are at a greater risk for postpartum anemia.

Source:www.healthnewsdigest.com