Postpartum Complications

My grandmother suffered with thyroid and use to always ask me if I had thyroids. I remember a time when she told me to get a quarter and some iodine to put on my stomach above my navel. She told me if it changed colors that I had thyroids. Also, because I felt so drained most of the time and would swell in my body often, she had me to consult with my physician about the matter. My grandmother was a very intelligent woman that was very health conscience about herself and her family.

My patient is a 30-year-old mother of two who presented with symptoms of fatigue, cold intolerance, and tearfulness. She was later diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis six months after the birth of her second child. With the addition of a thyroid hormone, prescribed by her doctor, the patient is doing well and living an active life with her husband and two children.

The Center for Disease Control estimates that 1 in 20 people suffer from depression (2014). Although widely recognized and somewhat easy to diagnose, depression is an ignored and almost hidden, disease. In women, the statistics are especially grim for those who are pregnant or were recently pregnant. A great number of women suffer from postpartum depression; an illness which is often overlooked, misdiagnosed and untreated. Postpartum depression (PPD) has been defined as an emotional disorder that occurs in an estimated 10-15% of all women after childbirth (Liberto, 2010). Postpartum depression not only impacts the mother, but can cause long-term psychological challenges for the baby and create emotional turmoil for all family members.

According to two recent studies, 7-13% of all postpartum women suffer from depression. Even more alarming, the prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) in mothers who have pre-term infants rises to 30-40% according to a recent review (Robertson E, Grace S, Wallington T, Stewart DE., 2004; Schmied V, Johnson M, Naidoo N, et al., 2013). Mood and anxiety disorders, specifically PPD, are severe, yet common complications in women of reproductive age. Undertreated depression in postpartum women is associated with health risks for both the mother and infant, making the goal of euthymia a top priority in the care of postpartum women. Current practice regarding PPD focuses on the triad approach of early detection and prevention, the use of pharmacotherapy, and the use of psychotherapy. However, the treatment of mental illness during pregnancy requires weighing the benefits of pharmacological treatment for the mother, to the risk of the medications on the growth and development of the fetus as well as the theoretical risks associated with undertreated depression. However, many studies are showing that the risks of postpartum depression to both the mother and infant significantly outweigh the risks of pharmacological treatment during pregnancy. Also, due to the ethical issues surrounding trials of pharmacotherapy during pregnancy, further research to determine evidenced-based methods of treatment are still necessary. The most important intervention to date is a

The article “Postpartum Depression” written by Sara Thurgood, Dr. Daniel M. Avery MD, and Dr. Lloyd Williamson, is engrossing and informatively written. Postpartum depression (PPD) is becoming an increasingly common issue among women after childbirth. PPD remains the most common perinatal psychiatric disorder, women are at greatest risk during the first year after giving birth. “Postpartum Depression” discusses what PPD is, how to treat it, and how a mother’s PPD affect her child’s development. This is a summary of what the authors of “Postpartum Depression” include in their article.

Treatment is usually needed for reassurance and some help with household chores and care of the baby. About 20% of women diagnosed with postpartum blues will end up developing more lasting depression. Overall postpartum depression ends up affecting about 10-16% of women.

Not too long ago, the term Cesarean Section would strike fear into the heart's of expecting mothers because of the number of risks involved with the surgery and not to mention the ghastly scar it leaves behind. Today, however, physicians give their patients the option to go through with natural delivery or chose a natural delivery. This may be due to the increase in celebrity trends or because women are having babies later in life and advanced maternal age comes into play when making the decision. Regardless of the increase of this type of delivery, one thing remains true, it is surgery and the

The hypothesis whether effective coping strategies can reduce post-partum stress in mothers with newborn babies will be supported from results derived from a cross tabulation analysis, posttest non-experimental survey and it is expected to show that post-partum stress levels will be reduced in mothers with a newborn baby if they properly utilize stress relieving methods that include support systems, planning tactics and making time for themselves. Prior research has proven that post-partum stress when left untreated will increase a mother’s exposure to other psychological disorders such as post-partum depression, as well as negative effects on maternal-infant attachment and child development and it has been identified as a major health problem

These patients then answered a survey that evaluated their fatigue. They all had blood drawn to get baselines of their thyroid stimulating hormone, free triiodothyronine, free levothyroxine levels, thiamine, and thiamine pyrophosphate levels. The patients were then given dosages of thiamine based on their weight, two receive oral thiamine and one received an intramuscular injection every four to seven days. The three patient had repeat surveys throughout the process to evaluate any changes in fatigue severity. After twenty days repeat blood work was drawn and the last survey was given. This group of people doing the research concluded that the thiamine given for fatigue associated with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis rectified it completely in two out of the three and decreased the amount of fatigue in one of the three. Their hypothesis, that the chronic fatigue and related disorders accompanying Hashimoto’s thyroiditis were manifestations of a mild thiamine deficiency that could be due to either a dysfunction of the active transport from the blood to the mitochondria or structural enzymatic abnormalities likely caused by immune system factors (article

Your health care provider may also suspect a thyroid nodule based on your symptoms. You may also have tests, including:

Diagnosis: patients who present with signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism, such as low energy, weight gain, cold intolerance, and amenorrhea, should be tested for the disorder with serum measurements of TSH and free T4. High TSH and low free T4 levels suggest hypothyroidism. Conversely, measurement of anti-thyroid antibodies may also be tested, such as anti-thyroglobulin, anti-thyroid peroxidase, and anti-TSH receptor. Clinical suspicion should still be present when patients do not have these characteristic hypothyroid symptoms, but present with primary amenorrhea in the

Postpartum Thyroiditis : The thyroid gland located in the lower front of neck is a butterfly- shaped endocrine gland. It produces thyroid hormones which help the body use energy, stay warm and keep the brain, heart, muscles, and other organs working normally. Postpartum thyroiditis is caused by anti – thyroid antibodies that attack the thyroid and cause inflammation. In United States, postpartum thyroiditis affect 5 -10% of women. Any women with autoimmune disorders, history of previous thyroid dysfunction, family history of thyroid dysfunction, history of previous postpartum thyroiditis are at risk of developing postpartum thyroiditis. The clinical course of postpartum thyroiditis includes thyrotoxicosis followed by hypothyroidism. The

Delivering a baby is the most beautiful thing to a woman in her life. But with childbirth woman also has to face significant emotional and physical changes happening to her body.

When caring for a postpartum mother, it is very important to keep the new mother comfortable at all times during her stay in the hospital, making sure that her pain is well managed. Also, “for the first one hour after birth, checking vital signs every 15 minutes” should be a priority. (Leifer 2015, p.147). While caring for the new mother, the new born baby should also be properly monitor, it is very important to keep the vital signs of the new born checked at all times and also be sure that the APGAR score is good. Teaching the postpartum mother how to take care of herself, her new born baby and her family (not neglecting her partner) Is very important, especially if the baby is the first born into the

      Throughout the years, our brain shape has changed in result of the nutrition received. The amount of nutrition received is the biggest factor with regard to the change in brain size. Therefore, the sufficient nutrition increased the size of the brain. In result, the increased brain size created advanced cognitive functions.