New mothers often get occupied with their babies and overlook their health. However, post-childbirth, a mother’s health is as important as the baby’s. Ignoring postpartum health could lead to various health conditions like postpartum anemia. Having anemia after delivery is seen more among women in developing nations and sometimes may lead to maternal morbidity. Reading this post may help you understand the possible causes, signs, risk factors, and treatment options of postpartum anemia.
What Is Postpartum Anemia?
Postpartum anemia is chronic iron deficiency post-delivery, when hemoglobin levels are less than 110 g/L at one week postpartum and less than 120 g/L at eight weeks postpartum (1).
Anemia Develops In 3 Stages (2)
Knowing what brings down the hemoglobin levels is essential to avoid the condition.
What Causes Anemia After Pregnancy?
Postpartum anemia could develop due to (3):
Poor diet: Insufficient intake of iron before or during pregnancy can lead to postpartum anemia. The iron requirement during pregnancy is 4.4mg per day. Since you do not get enough iron from food alone, it is important to take iron supplements during pregnancy and before conception. Image: iStock Blood loss: Significant blood loss during menstruation can also lead to loss of iron before conception.
Peripartum blood loss: Heavy blood loss during delivery (exceeding 300ml) can deplete the body’s iron reserves and lead to anemia after delivery (4). The greater the blood loss, the higher the risk of anemia in the mother.
Intestinal diseases: In the case of intestinal disorders such as celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, and inflammatory bowel disease, the presence of worms, malabsorption of iron becomes a concern (5).
When the iron levels go down, you will experience certain changes in the body.
What Are The Symptoms Of Postpartum Anemia?
Here are the signs and symptoms indicating iron deficiency after childbirth (6):
Feeling overly exhausted and tired Pale skin Weakness Feeling depressed Feeling confused Reduced quality and quantity of breast milk, which is associated with low weight gain in babies (7) Shortness of breath Lightheadedness or dizziness Rapid heartbeat Headaches Irritability Mood swings Image: iStock Reduced sex drive Decreased immunity
You may not be experiencing all these symptoms at a time, but if you find any of the symptoms mentioned above unmanageable, consult your doctor to avoid complications.
Risks Factors For Postpartum Anemia
Women who fall under the following categories are at a greater risk of developing postpartum anemia (8):
Iron deficiency before or during pregnancy Multiple pregnancies Pre-pregnancy BMI over 24 Cesarean section Short recovery time between pregnancies Bleeding during pregnancy Premature or post-term delivery High blood loss during pregnancy Placenta Previa Hypertension Multiple births Low income (9)
Does Anemia Affect Breastfeeding?
Anemia after delivery is associated with insufficient milk syndrome, which brings down the duration of full breastfeeding and leads to weaning at an earlier age. Early weaning also leads to poor weight gain in infants (7). Around 22% of first-time mothers suffer from postpartum anemia, with a hemoglobin level of less than 10 g/L. Treating anemia soon after diagnosis can prevent breastfeeding problems.
How Is Postpartum Anemia Treated?
Treatment of postpartum anemia includes some changes to your diet and lifestyle with recommended iron supplements. If the diagnosis confirms iron deficiency anemia, 100-200mg daily dose of oral ferrous iron is given for women with mild to moderate anemia after childbirth. You may require intravenous ferric iron from 800-1500mg in the case of severe deficiency. Your doctor will order hemoglobin analysis after two weeks to check if the treatment is successful. Blood transfusion is only given for women who have circulatory problems due to blood loss (4). For more severe forms of anemia, there are various medical treatments that can be implemented under the guidance and supervision of specialists. Here are a few tips to follow for managing anemia after delivery:
Leafy Greens such as spinach Beans Lentils Apricots Pumpkin Tofu Cereal Brown Rice Asparagus Potato Squash Peas Iron-fortified bread Oysters Chicken Strawberries
References:
title: “Postpartum Anemia Causes Symptoms And Treatment” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-29” author: “Douglas Hardy”
New mothers often get occupied with their babies and overlook their health. However, post-childbirth, a mother’s health is as important as the baby’s. Ignoring postpartum health could lead to various health conditions like postpartum anemia. Having anemia after delivery is seen more among women in developing nations and sometimes may lead to maternal morbidity. Reading this post may help you understand the possible causes, signs, risk factors, and treatment options of postpartum anemia.
What Is Postpartum Anemia?
Postpartum anemia is chronic iron deficiency post-delivery, when hemoglobin levels are less than 110 g/L at one week postpartum and less than 120 g/L at eight weeks postpartum (1).
Anemia Develops In 3 Stages (2)
Knowing what brings down the hemoglobin levels is essential to avoid the condition.
What Causes Anemia After Pregnancy?
Postpartum anemia could develop due to (3):
Poor diet: Insufficient intake of iron before or during pregnancy can lead to postpartum anemia. The iron requirement during pregnancy is 4.4mg per day. Since you do not get enough iron from food alone, it is important to take iron supplements during pregnancy and before conception. Image: iStock Blood loss: Significant blood loss during menstruation can also lead to loss of iron before conception.
Peripartum blood loss: Heavy blood loss during delivery (exceeding 300ml) can deplete the body’s iron reserves and lead to anemia after delivery (4). The greater the blood loss, the higher the risk of anemia in the mother.
Intestinal diseases: In the case of intestinal disorders such as celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, and inflammatory bowel disease, the presence of worms, malabsorption of iron becomes a concern (5).
When the iron levels go down, you will experience certain changes in the body.
What Are The Symptoms Of Postpartum Anemia?
Here are the signs and symptoms indicating iron deficiency after childbirth (6):
Feeling overly exhausted and tired Pale skin Weakness Feeling depressed Feeling confused Reduced quality and quantity of breast milk, which is associated with low weight gain in babies (7) Shortness of breath Lightheadedness or dizziness Rapid heartbeat Headaches Irritability Mood swings Image: iStock Reduced sex drive Decreased immunity
You may not be experiencing all these symptoms at a time, but if you find any of the symptoms mentioned above unmanageable, consult your doctor to avoid complications.
Risks Factors For Postpartum Anemia
Women who fall under the following categories are at a greater risk of developing postpartum anemia (8):
Iron deficiency before or during pregnancy Multiple pregnancies Pre-pregnancy BMI over 24 Cesarean section Short recovery time between pregnancies Bleeding during pregnancy Premature or post-term delivery High blood loss during pregnancy Placenta Previa Hypertension Multiple births Low income (9)
Does Anemia Affect Breastfeeding?
Anemia after delivery is associated with insufficient milk syndrome, which brings down the duration of full breastfeeding and leads to weaning at an earlier age. Early weaning also leads to poor weight gain in infants (7). Around 22% of first-time mothers suffer from postpartum anemia, with a hemoglobin level of less than 10 g/L. Treating anemia soon after diagnosis can prevent breastfeeding problems.
How Is Postpartum Anemia Treated?
Treatment of postpartum anemia includes some changes to your diet and lifestyle with recommended iron supplements. If the diagnosis confirms iron deficiency anemia, 100-200mg daily dose of oral ferrous iron is given for women with mild to moderate anemia after childbirth. You may require intravenous ferric iron from 800-1500mg in the case of severe deficiency. Your doctor will order hemoglobin analysis after two weeks to check if the treatment is successful. Blood transfusion is only given for women who have circulatory problems due to blood loss (4). For more severe forms of anemia, there are various medical treatments that can be implemented under the guidance and supervision of specialists. Here are a few tips to follow for managing anemia after delivery:
Leafy Greens such as spinach Beans Lentils Apricots Pumpkin Tofu Cereal Brown Rice Asparagus Potato Squash Peas Iron-fortified bread Oysters Chicken Strawberries
