Childbed fever

Childbed fever is an bacterial infection of the female reproductive tract, which occurs after a woman has given birth or after a miscarriage. It is also known as postpartum infection, or puerperal fever. In the developed world, it affects about one to two percent of all births. It can develop into a life-threatening sepsis. Cesarean section is one of the risk factors. For this reason, all women undergoing a Cesarean section receive antibiotics.

Postpartum infections
Other names	Puerperal fever, childbed fever, maternal sepsis, maternal infection, puerperal infections
Streptococcus pyogenes (red-stained spheres) is responsible for many cases of severe puerperal fever.
Medical specialty	Obstetrics
Symptoms	Fever, lower abdominal pain, bad-smelling vaginal discharge[1]
Causes	Typically multiple types of bacteria[1]
Risk factors	Caesarean section, premature rupture of membranes, prolonged labour, malnutrition, diabetes[1][2]
Treatment	Antibiotics[1]
Frequency	11.8 million[3]
Deaths	17,900[4]