Abstract
Objective
The incidence of postpartum anemia is high. Current therapy consists of iron supplementation or blood transfusions, based on the assumption that these treatments improve health status (HS) and reduce fatigue. The aim of this study was to compare HS and fatigue in postpartum women with and without anemia.
Study design
This prospective cohort study was performed in The Netherlands between April 2008 and August 2010 and involved 112 anemic (hemoglobin [Hb] < 10.5 g/dL) and 108 non-anemic (Hb ≥ 10.5 g/dL) women. The anemic women received oral iron supplementation. Within 48 h and 5 weeks after delivery, HS was measured using the 36 item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and fatigue was measured using the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS). ANOVA for repeated measures was used to compare HS and fatigue scores among groups and across time.
Results
After adjustment for confounding variables, there were no differences in any of the HS and fatigue scores. HS and fatigue seem to be more influenced by a complicated delivery than by anemia. HS and fatigue scores significantly improved over time in all women.
Conclusion
HS and fatigue were not different among women with and without postpartum anemia.Keywords: Health status, Fatigue, Anemia, Iron deficiency, Postpartum
The incidence of postpartum anemia is high. Current therapy consists of iron supplementation or blood transfusions, based on the assumption that these treatments improve health status (HS) and reduce fatigue. The aim of this study was to compare HS and fatigue in postpartum women with and without anemia.
Study design
This prospective cohort study was performed in The Netherlands between April 2008 and August 2010 and involved 112 anemic (hemoglobin [Hb] < 10.5 g/dL) and 108 non-anemic (Hb ≥ 10.5 g/dL) women. The anemic women received oral iron supplementation. Within 48 h and 5 weeks after delivery, HS was measured using the 36 item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and fatigue was measured using the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS). ANOVA for repeated measures was used to compare HS and fatigue scores among groups and across time.
Results
After adjustment for confounding variables, there were no differences in any of the HS and fatigue scores. HS and fatigue seem to be more influenced by a complicated delivery than by anemia. HS and fatigue scores significantly improved over time in all women.
Conclusion
HS and fatigue were not different among women with and without postpartum anemia.Keywords: Health status, Fatigue, Anemia, Iron deficiency, Postpartum
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 119-123 |
| Journal | European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Reproductive Biology |
| Volume | 181 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 |