Diseases and Complications of the Puerperium

Overview

Journal Dtsch Arztebl Int

Specialties General Medicine
Public Health

Date 2021 May 11

PMID 33972015

Citations 12

Authors

Susanne Schrey-Petersen

Anne Tauscher

Anne Dathan-Stumpf

Holger Stepan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: In terms of maternal morbidity and mortality, the puerperium is just as significant as pregnancy and childbirth. Nearly half of all maternal deaths occur in the time after delivery.

Methods: This review is based on pertinent articles in English and German from the years 2000- 2020 that were retrieved by a selective search in MEDLINE and EMBASE, as well as on the available guidelines in English and German and on German-language textbooks of obstetrics.

Results: The most common and severe complications are, in the post-placental phase, bleeding and disturbances of uterine involution; in the first seven days after delivery, infection (e.g., endomyometritis, which occurs after 1.6% [0.9; 2.5] of all births) and hypertension-related conditions. Thromboembolism, incontinence and disorders of the pelvic floor, mental disease, and endocrine disturbances can arise at any time during the puerperium. In an Australian study, the incidence of embolism was 0.45 per 1000 births, with 61.3% arising exclusively after delivery.

Conclusion: Basic familiarity with the most common and severe diseases in the puerperium is important for non-gynecologists as well, among other things because highly acute, lifethreatening complications can arise that demand urgent intervention.

Citing Articles

Psycho-Emotional Aspects of Pregnant Women Diagnosed with a Rare Disease: A Systematic Review.

Cortes-Martin C, Sanchez-Garcia J, Piqueras-Sola B, Cortes-Martin J, Reinoso-Cobo A, Martinez-Linares J Nurs Rep. 2024; 14(4):3391-3406.

PMID: 39585136 PMC: 11587449. DOI: 10.3390/nursrep14040245.

Evaluating the accuracy and reliability of non-piezo portable ultrasound devices in postpartum care.

Ploger R, Behning C, Walter A, Wittek A, Gembruch U, Strizek B Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2024; .

PMID: 39365472 DOI: 10.1007/s00404-024-07744-3.

Medical complications in pregnancy.

Gupta H J Family Med Prim Care. 2024; 13(8):3452.

PMID: 39228582 PMC: 11368270. DOI: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_45_24.

Association between receiving information on obstetric complications and institutional delivery: An analysis of the demographic and health survey of Peru, 2019.

Quispe-Vicuna C, Fernandez-Guzman D, Caira-Chuquineyra B, Failoc-Rojas V, Bendezu-Quispe G, Urrunaga-Pastor D Heliyon. 2023; 9(11):e21146.

PMID: 38027831 PMC: 10665671. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21146.

Assessing the Utilization of Postnatal Services Among Mothers: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Rai S, Oberoi S, Balgir R, Ahir D, Singh H Cureus. 2023; 15(10):e47000.

PMID: 37965422 PMC: 10642621. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.47000.

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