Postpartum anaemia in patients patients undergoing caesarean section

anaemia is defined as hemoglobin concentration less than 12g/dl in non pregnant women and less than 10 g/dl during pregnancy or the puerperium (cunningham et al., 2004). in 1992, the world health organization ( who) reported that the prevalence of anaemia among women of reproductive age in developing countries in general is 44 -45% in ( north africa including egypt) compared to 5-8 % in industrialized countries(schwartz and thurnav: 1995).iron deficiency is known to be the principal cause of anaemia. this is partly attributable to an iron deficit during pregnancy caused by increased iron demand of the fetoplacental unit and increased maternal red cell mass (baker, 2002). the maternal blood volume increases markedly during pregnancy. in studies of normal women, the blood volumes at or very near term are averaged about 40 to 45 percent above their non pregnant leve 1ls. the degree of expansion varies considerably. in volume nearly doubles. a fetus is not essential for the development of hypervolemia during pregnancy, as increases in blood volume have been demonstrated in some women with hydatidiform mole .pregnancy-induced hypervolemia has several important functions;to meet the demands of the enlarged uterus with its greatly hypertrophied vascular system ,to protect the mother and in turn the fetus against the deleterious effects of impaired venous return in the supine and erect positions and to safe guard the mother against the adverse effects of blood loss associated with parturition (cunningham et al ., 2004) .