5 Life-Threatening Conditions In Pregnancy And Childbirth

So, you’ve just crossed the finishing line and your little bundle of joy is in your arms. While you may think that this may be the time to ease up on your strict diet, or indeed become lax about your health, some conditions may yet affect you, and mortally endanger you. While some of these health complications can be diagnosed during pregnancy itself, like preeclampsia, or placental problems, other conditions may not be so easy to diagnose.

We don’t mean to scare you. here, we look at some of the most dangerous conditions that could affect a mother during, and just after childbirth.

1. Hemorrhage

A ruptured blood vessel may lead to heavy and uncontrolled bleeding during or after delivery. PPH or postpartum hemorrhages can be life threatening, and a woman might lose a ½ liter of blood. A hemorrhage can occur due to one of these reasons:

  • Atonic uterus (the womb does not contract)
  • Trauma
  • Retained Placenta
  • Placenta accreta or placenta previa

If the bleeding continues, doctors may suggest a hysterectomy to remove the womb completely.

2. Placental Problems:

Placental disorders such as placenta previa, placenta accreta, and placenta percreta have different stages.

  • Placenta Previa:

A placenta that lies across the cervix, or is lower than normal.

  • Placenta Accreta:

The placenta accreta is when the placenta is embedded too deep in the womb wall.

  • Placenta Percreta:

It happens when the placenta crosses the womb wall and enters the bladder.

  • Retained Placenta:

A retained placenta happens when some part of the placenta remains in the womb after birth.

  • Placental Abruption:

This condition happens when the placenta detaches too early from the womb wall.

3. Hypertension:

Another medical complication that can compound childbirth and labor, hypertension can lead to many disorders. In some cases, expectant moms develop preeclampsia and exhibit symptoms of hypertension, edema, and protein in the urine. Left untreated, preeclampsia can wreak havoc on your system. Severe cases can only be treated by inducing labor, which can be dangerous if the baby is premature.

HELLP syndrome is another condition that may affect pregnant women. Women with the condition face RBC destruction or Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes, and Low Platelet P count, hence the name.

4. PE, DVT and Blood Clots:

Blood clots, either in the legs or the lungs can lead to many life-threatening conditions while you are expecting. Clots typically appear in the legs, deep vein thrombosis, or show up in the lungs as pulmonary embolism. These clots can impair normal functioning and endanger your health as well.

5. Sepsis:

This is one condition that may affect you even before you go into labor, or it may develop a couple of days after your delivery. Sepsis was earlier called childbed fever and was among the leading causes of postpartum death. Sepsis is a virulent infection that can trigger blood poisoning and septicemia, which can be fatal for pregnant women.

So, there you have it. Five maternity problems that you need to keep under control. The best way to keep you and your baby safe is to consult your OB/GYN. We hope you found the information useful.

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