R. Ashwathkumar1
BACKGROUND
Puerperium is the period following childbirth during which the body tissues, especially the pelvic organs revert approximately to the pre-pregnant state both anatomically and physiologically. One of the main alterations that take place during pregnancy is increase in blood volume.
The objective of this study is to determine haematological changes before and after delivery.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A hospital-based cross-sectional study was performed on a random sample of approximately 200 women undergoing vaginal delivery at district hospital in Belgaum.
RESULTS
At the time of admission it was found that 123 women had Hb < 12 gm% (61.5%), of whom 120 were mildly anaemic (8 - 12 gm%) (60%) and 03 were moderately anaemic (5 - 8 gm%) (1.5%) (pre-delivery mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration was 31.86% and mean corpuscular volume was 94 cubic microns. A difference of 210.71 mL of mean blood loss was found in the primigravida as compared to multigravida.
CONCLUSION
Maximum reduction in haemoglobin, haematocrit and red blood corpuscles count occurred on 3rd post-partum day and that is the correct time to estimate blood indices.
