Summary: The prevalence of anaemia during pregnancy and post partum is according to the literature and many years clinical experience high. In the submitted work we investigated the incidence of sideropenic anaemia in women during the first three months after a spontaneous delivery, changes of clinical and laboratory indicators of anaemia during this period and the possible effect exerted by administration of iron and iron plus folic acid resp. Ninety pregnant women in the 35th to 39th week of pregnancy were at random divided into three equally sized groups and the following were assessed: haemogram, indicators of iron reserves, serum concentrations of folic acid, vitamin B12, erythropoetin and soluble transferrin receptor, liver tests, total protein + electrophoresis, acute stage proteins. In the first group (T) the women were given, starting on the 4th day after delivery 1 tablet of Tardyferon per day for two months. To the second group (F) for an equal period 1 tablet of Tardyferon Fol per day was administered. Women in the control group (K) had no medication. In the investigation women with medium and severe pregnancy anaemia were not included nor women taking during pregnancy or previously iron preparations or those treated in the past by blood transfusion. After spontaneous delivery (women who had Caesarean section or forceps delivery were eliminated from the study) the women were subjected to the same examinations as before delivery. These examinations were made on the fourth day after delivery and then after monthly intervals for a period of three months. At the same time the subjective condition of the mothers was evaluated after delivery, focused on the development of symptoms typical for anaemia and the possible effect of administe- red treatment. The investigation was completed by 60 women. During treatment no allergic or other serious side-reactions to the administered drugs calling for discontinuation of treatment were recorded. The results of the investigation proved that laboratory and clinical indicators of post-partum anaemia reached more quickly normal values in women treated with iron preparations. The authors did not detect a single and supreme marker of sideropenic anaemia in the early post-par- tum period. This is one of the reasons why the authors recommend iron administration to all women after spontaneous delivery. In the authors’ opinion examination of the blood count on the fourth day and assessment of the serum ferritin concentration one month after a spontaneous delivery in selected mothers (e.g. after an above average peripartal blood loss) is desirable. Addi- tion of folic acid to iron is of no special value during the post-partum period. Iron substitution in women after spontaneous delivery should be, with regard to the long persisting sideropenia, administered at least for three months. The dose of 80 mg elemental iron per day is sufficient for mild or medium post-partum anaemia. Addition of mucoprotease and ascorbic acid to iron prepa- rations is useful because it increases the compliance of the patients and thus also its effective- ness. The preparation Tardyferon meets the above criteria and is therefore a good choice for the treatment of post-partum anaemia.

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