Iron deficiency is one of the most common forms of nutritional deficiencies, particularly among vulnerable groups such as women, children and low-income populations. Iron deficiency often precedes anaemia, and anaemia during pregnancy is one of the strongest predictors of anaemia during the postpartum period, beginning just after childbirth throughout the subsequent 6 weeks. The consequences of iron deficiency and anaemia during the postpartum period can be serious and have long-term health implications for the mother and her infant.

This guideline reviews the evidence on the safety and effectiveness of iron supplementation in postpartum women.

Contents

• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
• SCOPE AND PURPOSE
• BACKGROUND
• OBJECTIVES
• SUMMARY OF AVAILABLE EVIDENCE
• RECOMMENDATION
• REMARKS
• RESEARCH PRIORITIES
• DISSEMINATION, IMPLEMENTATION AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
  • Dissemination
  • Implementation
  • Regulatory considerations
  • Ethical considerations
  • Monitoring and evaluation of guideline implementation
• GUIDELINE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
  • Advisory groups
  • Scope of the guideline, evidence appraisal and decision-making
  • Management of competing interests
  • Plans for updating the guideline
• REFERENCES
• ANNEX 1 GRADE SUMMARY OF FINDINGS TABLE
• ANNEX 2 SUMMARY OF THE CONSIDERATIONS OF THE MEMBERS OF THE GUIDELINE DEVELOPMENT GROUP FOR DETERMINING THE STRENGTH OF THE RECOMMENDATION FOR IRON SUPPLEMENTATION IN POSTPARTUM WOMEN
• ANNEX 3 QUESTIONS IN POPULATION, INTERVENTION, CONTROL, OUTCOMES (PICO) FORMAT
• ANNEX 4 WHO STEERING COMMITTEE FOR NUTRITION GUIDELINES DEVELOPMENT
• ANNEX 5 WHO GUIDELINE DEVELOPMENT GROUP
• ANNEX 6 EXTERNAL RESOURCE EXPERTS
• ANNEX 7 WHO SECRETARIAT
• ANNEX 8 PEER-REVIEWERS

This publication is a World Health Organization (WHO) guideline. A WHO guideline is any document, whatever its title, containing WHO recommendations about health interventions, whether they be clinical, public health or policy interventions. A standard guideline is produced in response to a request for guidance in relation to a change in practice, or controversy in a single clinical or policy area, and is not expected to cover the full scope of the condition or public health problem. A recommendation provides information about what policy-makers, health-care providers or patients should do. It implies a choice between different interventions that have an impact on health and that have ramifications for the use of resources. All publications containing WHO recommendations are approved by the WHO Guidelines Review Committee.

Suggested citation:

Guideline: Iron supplementation in postpartum women. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2016.

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