Oral iron and folic acid

Confirmed iron deficiency with anaemia; exclude haemoglobinopathy/other causes and assess urgency

Oral

Daily; divide the elemental-iron dose if needed for tolerability

Until Hb normalises, then return to the preventive antenatal dose; continue the documented postnatal/repletion plan rather than stopping after an arbitrary pack · Count ELEMENTAL iron, not total salt mass. A tablet containing 60 mg elemental iron gives 120 mg with two tablets; check combined-tablet folate content separately. Separate from calcium by several hours and from levothyroxine by 4–5 hours

• Daily WHO treatment and prevention doses are different. Alternate-day strategies need an explicit alternative prescription and response review.

120 mg/day elemental iron in this WHO treatment regimen; extra OTC iron can duplicate treatment

Routine pregnancy supplementation, particularly high-anaemia-burden settings

Oral

Once daily

Throughout pregnancy, beginning as early as possible; document any national postpartum continuation separately · Choose a product labelled with these elemental-iron/folate amounts; no dilution. Check other prenatal supplements to avoid duplication; separate calcium and levothyroxine

• Start folic acid before conception where possible. High-risk neural-tube-defect prevention is a separate higher-dose folate prescription.

WHO preventive range is 30–60 mg elemental iron/day; this card selects 60 mg. Do not treat established IDA with the preventive dose alone

Diagnosed postpartum iron-deficiency anaemia after haemorrhage is controlled and outpatient oral treatment is suitable

Oral

Daily; tailor administration for tolerance without accidentally changing the prescribed total

WHO postpartum anaemia treatment: until Hb normalises. Then document any continuing preventive/repletion course and review; the preventive 6–12-week recommendation is a different indication. · Use the product’s ELEMENTAL iron content, not salt weight: two tablets each containing 60 mg elemental iron provide 120 mg. Check the combined-tablet folate separately. Separate iron from calcium by several hours and levothyroxine by 4–5 hours.

• The WHO 2025 supportive-care recommendation supplies the postpartum dose/endpoint. Preparation and response monitoring reuse the checked oral-iron reference; breastfeeding is compatible with indicated maternal supplementation.

120 mg/day elemental iron in this WHO treatment schedule; do not add duplicate antenatal/OTC iron or overlap oral and IV courses without an explicit plan.