The main causes of postpartum hemorrhage

Written by Tang Mei Xiang
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Updated on September 08, 2024
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There are four main causes of postpartum hemorrhage: one is uterine atony, two is due to trauma in the soft birth canal, three is due to placental factors, and four is coagulation dysfunction. Uterine atony is the most common cause of postpartum hemorrhage clinically. Various factors can lead to uterine atony, such as maternal exhaustion during labor due to not eating, leading to physical decay, which can also cause uterine atony. Additionally, an excessively large uterus, such as from excessive amniotic fluid, twins, or triplets, can lead to poor uterine contraction and retraction rates after childbirth. As for injuries in the soft birth canal, they mainly occur due to insufficient protection of the perineum during childbirth or inappropriate use of vacuum assistance during the second stage of labor, causing trauma in the soft birth canal. Placental factors include placental adhesion, placenta accreta, partial placental abruption, and retained placenta, all of which can lead to postpartum bleeding due to placental issues.

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Written by Liu Wei Jie
Obstetrics
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Does postpartum hemorrhage count as dystocia?

Postpartum hemorrhage is one of the very important causes that endanger the lives of mothers. Although hemorrhage is not considered as dystocia, conditions of dystocia can induce severe hemorrhage. This is because complications such as trauma to the birth canal and uterine atony might occur after dystocia. These issues are triggers for severe postpartum hemorrhage. Even in normal cesarean sections, there can be cases of severe postpartum hemorrhage, thus postpartum hemorrhage is not counted as dystocia, but dystocia can easily induce severe postpartum hemorrhage.

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Written by Liu Wei Jie
Obstetrics
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Why is uterine curettage necessary for postpartum hemorrhage?

We encounter a situation where postpartum hemorrhage is caused by the presence of residual material inside the uterus, which can influence the contraction of the uterus. This condition can lead to severe postpartum hemorrhage. The most important solution for postpartum hemorrhage is to immediately stop the bleeding. Therefore, by removing the residual material from the uterine cavity, the uterus can return to its normal contraction, achieving the purpose of immediately stopping the bleeding. It is also very common to need uterine evacuation after childbirth, as this process might cause some trauma to the uterus. Although it can be somewhat traumatic, this trauma is minimal compared to severe postpartum hemorrhage. In such cases, we must carefully weigh the pros and cons and decisively decide to proceed with the evacuation of the uterus.

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Written by Tang Mei Xiang
Obstetrics and Gynecology
1min 15sec home-news-image

The main causes of postpartum hemorrhage

There are four main causes of postpartum hemorrhage: one is uterine atony, two is due to trauma in the soft birth canal, three is due to placental factors, and four is coagulation dysfunction. Uterine atony is the most common cause of postpartum hemorrhage clinically. Various factors can lead to uterine atony, such as maternal exhaustion during labor due to not eating, leading to physical decay, which can also cause uterine atony. Additionally, an excessively large uterus, such as from excessive amniotic fluid, twins, or triplets, can lead to poor uterine contraction and retraction rates after childbirth. As for injuries in the soft birth canal, they mainly occur due to insufficient protection of the perineum during childbirth or inappropriate use of vacuum assistance during the second stage of labor, causing trauma in the soft birth canal. Placental factors include placental adhesion, placenta accreta, partial placental abruption, and retained placenta, all of which can lead to postpartum bleeding due to placental issues.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
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Can you eat spicy food with late postpartum hemorrhage?

Women who experience late postpartum hemorrhage should not eat spicy foods. Spicy foods are not conducive to wound healing. Additionally, they may reduce the body's immune resistance, which could potentially lead to infections. Women who have postpartum bleeding should focus on a light diet and consume high-nutrition, easily digestible foods, such as eggs, milk, lean meat, fresh vegetables, and fruits, which can provide the necessary nutrients needed for postpartum recovery. Furthermore, appropriate physical activity is also beneficial for bodily recovery.

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Written by Liu Wei Jie
Obstetrics
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What are the warning signs of postpartum hemorrhage?

Postpartum hemorrhage generally does not have warning signs but usually has precipitating factors. These factors include maternal fear, psychological tension, macrosomia or twin pregnancy, as well as conditions like uterine fibroids, placental abruption, or placenta previa. In cases of placenta previa during a cesarean section, there is a high likelihood of severe bleeding. There is only one condition that might signal an impending postpartum hemorrhage, which is placental abruption. If placental abruption occurs, it can cause severe abdominal pain along with issues of hypertension during pregnancy. If a person with pregnancy-induced hypertension experiences severe abdominal pain, this could be a precursor to postpartum hemorrhage.