Anemia increases risk of Preterm delivery Low birth weight Postpartum maternal infections Diagnosis of Anemia in Pregnancy Complete blood count (CBC), followed by testing based on mean corpuscular value (MCV) value Diagnosis of anemia begins with CBC; usually, if women have anemia, subsequent testing is based on whether the MCV is low (< 79 fL) or high (> 100 fL): For microcytic anemias: Evaluation includes testing for iron deficiency (measuring serum ferritin) and hemoglobinopathies (using hemoglobin electrophoresis).