Abstract
Author(s): WOJCIECH ABRAHAMOWICZ1, DOROTA DARMOCHWAÅ-KOLARZ2, JOANNA GONET-SEBASTIANKA1, IWONA HUS3, JAN OLESZCZUK2
Anaemia is a clinical condition manifested by a lowering of haemoglobin concentration, of the number of red blood cells and their mass in blood circulation below the values adopted as normal. The most frequent causes of anaemia in pregnancy and puerperium include: iron deficit, folic acid deficit, and acute blood loss. The most frequent cause of true anaemia in pregnancy is iron deficit, with its late symptom being a lowered haemoglobin concentration. Usually, iron deficit is accompanied by folic acid deficit, while sporadically anaemia may be due to a lowered concentration of vitamin B12. Anaemia in pregnancy constitutes a serious problem for the mother as well as the fetus and newborn. It may result in numerous obstetrical pathologies and have an adverse effect on the infant’s condition, even for a long time after the delivery.