Relationship between patient ethnicity and prevalence of anemia during pregnancy and the puerperium period and compliance with healthcare recommendations - implications for targeted health policy.

Overall compliance with health recommendation was high during pregnancy but low postpartum and was reflected in anemia persistence regardless of ethnicity. Because of the adverse long term impact of anemia on patient's health, new policies need to be developed to improve patient's compliance postpartum. A possible strategy is to combine the follow-up of the mother with the one of the newborn in the family health stations (Tipat Halav) and the community clinics similarly to the close follow-up during pregnancy. Additional methods may include active summoning for CBC test and assuring iron supplement consumption.