Iron Deficiency Anemia in Pregnancy after Bariatric Surgery: Etiology, Risk Factors, and How to Manage It

Pregnancy after bariatric surgery is a reality of the 21^st century and therefore is essential that all obstetricians know how to manage it. The most prevalent nutritional deficiency is iron deficiency and, consequently, anemia. Although bariatric surgery and pregnancy are already risk factors for anemia, we evaluated in our study if there were any other risk factors and actions to improve hemoglobin levels in this population.

We performed a retrospective cohort study, and performed frequency measurements and analyzes of odds ratio, X² and Fisher exact test to evaluate the risk factors.

We evaluated 44 pregnancies after bariatric surgery, with an incidence of anemia of 62%, and the only identifiable risk factor for anemia was being black. As for the treatment, the iron salt used for oral supplementation did not associate with anemia risk, and in 27% of the patients, the adjustment of the oral dosage was enough for improvement in hemoglobin levels, but in 36% supplementation with intravenous iron was necessary.

Being black is a risk factor for anemia. The type of iron salt does not correlate with the incidence of anemia, and for the treatment and improvement of iron dosages, it seems an effective increase in iron intake.