Puerperal Complications
Puerperal Fever A number of factors can cause fever—a temperature of 38.0°C (100.4°F) or higher—in the puerperium. Most persistent fevers after childbirth are caused by genital tract infection. Using this…
Induction and Augmentation of Labor
Indications Induction is indicated when the benefits to either mother or fetus outweigh those of pregnancy continuation. The more common indications include membrane rupture without labor, gestational hypertension, oligohydramnios, nonreassuring…
Amnionic Fluid
Physiology Early in pregnancy, the amnionic cavity is filled with fluid that is similar in composition to extracellular fluid. During the first half of pregnancy, transfer of water and other…
Gestational Trophoblastic Disease
FIGURE 20-1 Complete hydatidiform mole. A. Gross specimen with characteristic vesicles of variable size. (Image contributed by Dr. Brian Levenson.) B. Low-magnification photomicrograph shows generalized edema and cistern formation (black…
Fetal Therapy
Arrhythmias Fetal cardiac rhythm disturbances may be broadly categorized as tachyarrhythmias, heart rates > 180 beats per minute (bpm); bradyarrhythmia, heart rate < 110 bpm; and ectopy, typically premature atrial…
Connective-Tissue Disorders
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Lupus is a heterogeneous autoimmune disease with a complex pathogenesis that results in interactions between susceptibility genes and environmental factors (Hahn, 2012; Tsokos, 2011). Immune system abnormalities…
Sterilization
Puerperal Tubal Sterilization For several days after delivery, the uterine fundus lies at the level of the umbilicus, and fallopian tubes are accessible directly beneath the abdominal wall. Moreover, abdominal…
The Preterm Newborn
Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS, HMD) Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) Pneumothorax Pneumonia/sepsis Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) Cerebral palsy (CP)…
Stillbirth
FIGURE 35-1 Percent distribution of fetal deaths at 20 weeks’ gestation or more, and infant deaths: United States 2006. (From MacDorman, 2012.) FIGURE 35-2 Fetal mortality rate per 1000 births…
