Serum concentrations of erythropoietin in healthy and anaemic pregnant women.

We have found serum erythropoietin (EPO) concentration significantly (p < 0.01) increased during normal pregnancy. Erythropoietin concentration was significantly (p < 0.05) higher before the 24th gestational week than after it. In pregnant women with iron deficiency anaemia serum EPO concentration was significantly (p < 0.001) higher than in healthy pregnant women. In anaemic women significant (p < 0.001) linear correlation between haemoglobin (hgb) and log serum EPO concentrations was observed. In pregnant women including both healthy and anaemic women log serum EPO concentrations correlated inversely with hgb concentrations (p < 0.01). We conclude that erythropoietin secretion is raised in normal pregnancy and is at highest in the first and second trimesters, when hgb mass begins to grow. In pregnancy with concomitant anaemia a more extensive demand for erythropoietin secretion is obvious.