Prevalence of Postpartum Anemia and Associated Risk Factors in Najran Hospitals, Saudi Arabia; A Retrospective Observational Study.

Introduction: Postpartum anemia (PPA) occurs when hemoglobin (Hb) levels drop below 11 g/dl within 42 days after childbirth. This growing public health issue is a leading cause of complications that can affect maternal health and increase the risk of morbidity and mortality. However, evidence about its prevalence and associated risk factors is still unclear.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the incidence of PPA, potential risk factors associated with its occurrence, and severity in two major hospitals in Najran, Saudi Arabia.

Patients and methods: A retrospective observational study was performed among postpartum women admitted to the Maternity and Children Hospital and the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic at the Najran University Hospital. The data was collected from electronic medical records from November 2023 to March 2024, including the patient's characteristics, like nationality, body mass index (BMI), education level, employment status, medical history, delivery details, laboratory results, and anemia diagnosis. Statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS software, with significance defined as p-values below 0.05.

Results: A total of 565 postpartum women were included. The prevalence of PPA was 52.7%. Anemic participants prior to labor were significantly 4.986 times more likely to experience postpartum anemia compared to non-anemic participants, with a 95% confidence interval of (1.842-13.496) and a p-value of 0.002. The risk factors regarding the severity of anemia were significantly high among participants with childbirth complications (79.2%), one parity (67.2%), and prepartum anemia (72.6%).

Conclusion: This study highlights a significant prevalence of postpartum anemia among women, strongly linked to anemia prior to labor. The severity of postpartum anemia is particularly greater in women with childbirth complications, those who have had one previous birth, or who were anemic before delivery. Comprehensive postpartum follow-up for changes to improve access to prenatal and postnatal care are essential strategies to reduce postpartum anemia and enhance maternal health outcomes.