Megaloblastic anaemia of pregnancy and the puerperium

SELECTED Badenoch,

et al.:

Megaloblastic

ABSTRACTS

Anaemia

1367

of Pregnancy

and the

Puerperium,

p. 1245.

The study of megaloblastie anemia of pregnancy and the puerperium has been rather ~lifficult to accomplish because of the necessity for rapid treatment during pregnancy and the spontaneity of remission post par-turn. Nine cases are reported by the authors which they investigated by gastric biopsy, analysis of the gastric secretions, rate of B13 and fat, absorption, and serum vitamin B,, absorption. The results of these studies are tabulated and summarized. The treatment included folie acid and vitamin B,?. The significance of the patient response was difficult to interpret, however, because of the transient nature of the disease and the small number of patients evaluated. The findings of the investigators do not support previous works of Strauss and c’astle who attributed the cause of the disease to lack of secretion of the enteric factors. Vitamin B1? levels were not found to be consistently low and the response to the administration of this drug in some cases is difficult to explain, as is the similar improvement pry rluced following the administration of folic acid. lu conclusion the authors believe that folic acid prior to delivery is usually more effective than vitamin B,?, and that the anemia is secondary to a resistance to the action of thfx hemopoietic factors rather than to a deficiency of these elements. ARTHUR PERELI,, M.D. J'OZ. 2, JuTy 9, 2955. Retrolental Fibroplasia in the TJnited A\ Report to the Medical Research Council: Kingdom, p. 7% Incidence of Retrolental Fihroplasia in England and Boy-d, J. T., and Hirst, K. 11.: Wales in 1951, p. 83. The Inheritance of Porphyria, p. 89. IJean, Geoffrey, and Barnes, H. D.: Rupture of Uterus Following Accidental Haemorrhage, p. 96. Pickles, Basil G.: Gate, J. M., and Dutton, W. A. W.: Forceps Delivery Under Local Analgesia, p. 99. J-01. 4, JuZy 30, 2955. S(aott, James S. :

Blood

CoaguIation

Failure

in Obstetrics,

Deutsche Medizinische J’ol.

1’01.

February 11, 1955. Urinary Incontinence Koetzschke, G. H.: and Accelerated Louros, 5. C.: Painless

18, 1955. Philipp, E. : Endocrine Activit,y Praetorius, M. : The Treatment

and Extravesical Conduct of Labor,

Ureteral p. 217.

Enilings,

p. 210.

80, February

I-01. 80, Karch Rrhultze,

4, 1955. H. : Analgesia

1701. 80, April

1, 1955. T. : Retrolental

Brehme, 80,

-4pril

hiay, l*ol.

Wochenschrift?

80,

J’ol. 80, February $5, 1955. Hass, R., Keller, W., and Against Poliomyelitis,

ro7.

p. 090.

80,

Kikuth, p. 273.

for

Cancer

Fibroplasia,

WV.:

Basic

Patients,

St,ypturon,

Considerations

of

p. 2%.

Active

immunization

p. 313.

p. 410.

8, 1955.

F. :

April

Gber,

of the Placenta, p. 243. of Urinary Bleeding With

Changes 15,

K.

*A&rote.-The ~Vochemsohrift in each issue.

G.:

in the Treatment

of Genitourinary

Tuberculosis,

1~. 479.

1955.

Fun(lamentals

of

Hormone

editor wishes to call attention is now printing English and Spanish

Therapy

in

to the

fact

summaries

Dysfunctional

Bleeding,

1,. 552.

that the Deutsche Mdirmivche of all original articles published