OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of anemia and iron status among Chilean women of childbearing age between 1981 and 2010. MATERIALS AND METHODS Calculation of the prevalence of anemia and iron status was based on multiple cross-sectional iron absorption studies performed in 888 women during this period of time. All studies included measurements of hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, zin...

Hypertension in women of childbearing age is a challenging medical problem with increasing prevalence. Essential hypertension remains the most common diagnosis in young women. Reproductive goals and possible teratogenic effects must be considered when initiating therapy. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are frequent causes of maternal/fetal morbidity and mortality, the most common being pree...

Women with epilepsy should not be discouraged from becoming pregnant as the likelihood of having a healthy baby is very high. However, in such women, early and individualised counselling about pregnancy and contraception is essential. Ideally, pregnancies should be planned, folic acid (5 mg/day) given and antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment optimised well before conception to ensure that the low...