Failure to demonstrate postpartum functional iron deficiency using quantitative red blood cell analysis.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this prospective study was to assess erythropoiesis and test for functional iron deficiency in the postpartum period using quantitative red blood cell analysis.


METHODS
Parameters were determined on admission for delivery and postpartum from 82 obstetric patients at Zurich University Hospital: full blood count, hypochromic and microcytic red cells, reticulocyte count (including subsets), reticulocyte mean corpuscular volume, reticulocyte mean hemoglobin content and reticulocyte mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration.


RESULTS
Microcytic cells increased from 0.9% prepartum to 1.4% on day 42 postpartum; hypochromic cells decreased from 4.3 to 1.9%; reticulocyte mean corpuscular volume decreased from 134 to 125 fl; reticulocyte mean hemoglobin content was unchanged.


CONCLUSIONS
To our knowledge, this is the first medium scale application of quantitative red blood cell analysis to normal pre- and postpartum women. Our data show no evidence of functional iron deficiency or increased erythropoiesis in the postpartum period.
Richter
C
C
Department of Gynecology, University Medical Center Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
Weitzel
H
H
Huch
A
A
Huch
R
R
D000328:Adult; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D004920:Erythropoiesis / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012156:Reticulocytes / Q000502:physiology*
D006454:Hemoglobins