Herziene beroepsstandaard ‘Anemie in de verloskundige praktijk’

Conflict of interest: none declared. Financial support for this article: the institute (Royal Dutch Organization of Midwives, KNOV) where M. Beentjes en S. Jans are employed received financial support for the guideline from the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMW).

• The practice guideline of the Royal Dutch Organization of Midwives ‘Anaemia in primary care midwifery practice’ published in 2000, has recently been revised.

• The revised guideline takes physiological haemodilution during pregnancy into consideration and provides gestation specific reference values for haemoglobin levels.

• The guideline advises to start iron supplementation only in demonstrated iron deficiency based on low levels of haemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume (MCV). This results in less prescription of iron medications and prescription of lower dosages, which will result in fewer adverse effects and better therapy adherence.

• New chapters are added concerning anaemia during preconception and the puerperium. More attention is given to women with an increased risk of anaemia in pregnancy and the influence of a positive carrier status for haemoglobinopathy.

• In order to achieve good continuity of care, collaboration between obstetricians and general practitioners is important.