Morphologic anomalies of the red blood cells (RBCs) during pregnancy are poorly known. Peripheral blood films from 69 healthy pregnant women were investigated for shape, color and content anomalies of the RBCs. A range of minor alterations was observed, without clinical significance. Only a slight increase of polychromatophilic RBCs was regularly observed. However, we would like to stress that spherocytes or schistocytes can occasionally be found, even in the absence of hemolysis.
Keywords: pregnancy; red blood cell morphology; schistocyte; spherocyte.