Objective: To evaluate the value of combined measurement of mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and red blood cell volume distribution width (RDW) in the diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy.
Methods: Hemoglobin concentration (HGB), MCV, RDW, serum iron concentration (Fe), total iron binding capacity (TIBC) and transferrin saturation percentage (TS%) were simultaneously assayed in 605 pregnant women at prenatal examination. The results in different groups were analysed.
Results: There were 68 cases in iron deficiency anemia group, 57 cases in non-iron deficiency anemia group and 480 pregnant women in normal group. RDW was significantly increased and MCV greatly decreased in iron deficiency anemia group as compared with that in normal group and non-iron deficiency anemia group. There were no differences in both MCV and RDW between normal group and non-iron deficiency anemia group.
Conclusions: Low MCV and high RDW were the characteristic changes of iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy. We recommend the use of RDW and MCV in the initial classification of anemia in pregnancy.