Pregnancy and Childbirth

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Overview

The process of pregnancy and childbirth is a beautiful one. However, it comes with its own set of possible complications, such as:

  • Postpartum bleeding

  • Postpartum infections

  • Birth asphyxia

  • Obstructed labor

Causes

There are some complications that can lead to the development of these conditions, some of which are:

  • Postpartum bleeding – trauma to the uterus, bleeding disorders, retention of placental tissue

  • Postpartum infections – retention of placental tissue, lacerations in the vaginal wall due to delivery, delivery in non-sterile conditions

  • Birth asphyxia – premature birth, obstructed labor, lung immaturity

  • Obstructed labor – birth canal of the mother is too small, head of the baby is too lard, mother’s uterus muscles aren’t working well enough

Symptoms

The symptoms of the complications mentioned above are:

  • Postpartum bleeding – expulsion of a large volume of blood from the vagina, up to 24 hours after childbirth, increased heart rate, increased breathing rate, fainting

  • Postpartum infections – fever, chills, lower abdominal pain, and bad smell from the vagina up to 10 days after childbirth

  • Birth asphyxia – baby does not start breathing immediately after coming out of the maternal body, no crying, face turns blue

  • Obstructed labor – mother is unable to give normal vaginal birth to the baby, baby is in distress inside the mother’s body

Diagnosis

The diagnosis is made promptly by the symptoms.

Treatment

Early treatment is necessary to prevent maternal death:

  • Postpartum bleeding – oxytocin shot to stop the bleeding, blood transfusion to replace lost blood

  • Postpartum infection – antibiotics, find the underlying cause of infection and fix it

  • Birth asphyxia – resuscitate the baby immediately, oxygen therapy

  • Obstructed labor – immediately opt for C section, to avoid lifethreatening situations

 

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