Postpartum anaemia. Are we vigilant enough?

Anaemia in the immediate postnatal period can manifest itself physically in a number of ways. Amongst these are pallor, tiredness, dizziness, loss of appetite and oedema (Bewley 2004), all of which could be mistaken for commonly observed benign symptoms of the immediate postnatal period. However, left untreated, anaemia can severely impact on both the physical and emotional wellbeing of a woman and dramatically slow down her recovery (Bewley 2004). This altered state of health can also have a detrimental effect on a woman's ability to bond with her new child (Abbott et al 1997) and has been identified as a contributory factor in the initiation of postnatal depression (Corwin et al 2003). It is therefore imperative that, as midwives and student midwives, we take every opportunity to closely monitor the wellbeing of women in our care in order to facilitate their return to a normal haemoglobin level, promote infant bonding and reduce the risk of postnatal depression.