women s health issues
Infections of the Uterus After Delivery
Causes of Infections of the Uterus After Delivery
Bacteria that normally live in the healthy vagina can cause an infection after delivery. Conditions that make a woman more likely to develop an infection include the following: A long delay (often more than 18 hours) between rupture of the membranes and delivery Labor That Progresses Too Slowly None Repeated cervical examinations during labor Chorioamnionitis Fetal monitoring (which requires rupture of the membranes containing the fetus) Cesarean Delivery None Placental fragments remaining in the uterus after delivery Manual removal of fragments remaining in the uterus after delivery Excessive Uterine Bleeding at Delivery (postpartum hemorrhage) Establishment of bacteria (colonization) in the lower part of the genital tract (vulva, vagina, or cervix) Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) None Anemia During Pregnancy None Diabetes Mellitus (DM) None Young age Low socioeconomic group The chances of developing a uterine infection depend mainly on the type of delivery: Normal vaginal deliveries: 1 to 3% Cesarean deliveries that have been scheduled and are done before labor starts: 5 to 15% Cesarean deliveries that are not scheduled and are done after labor starts: 15 to 20% 