Fever after Childbirth

Etiology

Fever after childbirth may be caused by a number of factors, including:

• Invasion of external toxins
• External invasion of Wind-Heat
• Severe blood loss during childbirth
• Surgery, emotional problems
• Retention of food

Pathology

After childbirth, the Upright Qi (Zheng Qi) is weakened, the Nutritive (Ying) and Defensive (Wei) Qi are out of balance with each other and the mother is therefore prone to invasions of Exterior pathogenic factors which may cause a fever. Internal factors such as deficiency of Blood or Yin may also cause a fever.

Identification of Patterns and Treatments

Clinical Manifestations

Fever after childbirth may manifest in a number of ways, including:

• Continuous but relatively low fever
• Sudden, high fever
• Fever that appears 1-2 days after childbirth with no other symptoms
• Fever that appears 3-4 days after childbirth and in between breastfeeding sessions (called zheng ru, or "steaming breast")

Treatment Principles

Treatment of fever after childbirth should be based on the following principles:

• Establishing whether the fever is of external or internal origin
• Treating the root cause of the fever
• Nourishing the body and strengthening the immune system
• Treating any accompanying symptoms

Prognosis and Prevention

The prognosis for fever after childbirth is generally good, especially if the condition is treated promptly and effectively. To prevent fever after childbirth, it is important for a woman to eat nourishing and easily digestible food, get plenty of rest, and maintain good hygiene during and after childbirth.

Western Viewpoint

In Western medicine, fever after childbirth may be caused by bacterial infections of the genital tract. Treatment typically involves the use of antibiotics to kill the bacteria and prevent the infection from spreading. It is also important to treat any other symptoms and complications that may arise as a result of the fever.