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195
Comparing results of this study t o those oct.aLned in
other studies on postpartum anaemia is not easy because of the
differing criteria for defining anaemia ueee by t h e various
r esearchers . In a stUdy in Egy pt [ 16 4] fo r e xa mple, in which
t he prevalence of pre-delivery a nd po s tpartum anaemia recorded
...ere 66% and 90% r e s pec t i ve l y. the criteria used for defining
anaemia in the study was h a e mo g l ob in l ev e l s o f less t han 12 .6
gJdl .
Wh en we a pp ly thi s criter ia to the subjects in t h i s stud y
the prevalence of pre-delivery a nd postpartum a naemia in
SUbjects will be 73% and 78% respective ly. Thus the proportion
of SUbjects present ing in l a bour with anaemia are quite
similar in the -cv c studies, but l ab our appears to ha ve
aggravated more markedly the prevalenc e of po s t partum a na emia
in t he Egyptian samp le .
Available evidence s how t hat the causes of anaemia i n
the developing world are mUl tifac torial , an d are mostly the
resuLt; of nutritional deficiencies, hemoglobinopathies and
i n f e c t i ons (146,157 , 158J . For the majority of women wi th
anaemia in t h i s s tudy, these factors are t he most l ikely
causes o f thei r ana emia. The on ly factor to ha ve chang ed i n
their risk for anaemia postpartum is the absence of t h e
foetus . This however is no comfort s i nce it is now replaced by
the burden of breast fe eding which can also lead to a deplet­
ion of maternal nutrient stores.