Acute Carecommon
A 34-year-old woman born in Vietnam is investigated for tiredness. Her periods are normal, she eats meat, takes no medicines, and was told she was slightly anaemic in both of her pregnancies. Haemoglobin 101 g/L (115-155), mean cell volume 66 fL (80-100), red cell count 5.9 x 10^12/L (3.8-5.2), red cell distribution width normal, ferritin 96 micrograms/L (15-200), C-reactive protein 2 mg/L (less than 5). Which one of the following best explains this blood picture?