Low neonatal birth weight as a possible predictive factor for the onset of postpartum eclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
To report about a case of complicated late postpartum eclampsia where neonatal low birth weight could be considered a predictive factor of placental sufferance.


METHODS
A 25-year-old woman, without medical or familiar history for hypertension or cerebrovascular diseases, underwent a normal spontaneous delivery with neonatal birth weight of 2340 g (9th percentile). Eight days later the patient presented sudden headache and generalized tonic-clonic seizures.


RESULTS
Blood hypertension and alterations in laboratory studies were detected; a diagnosis of late postpartum eclampsia was made. A CT scan showed subarachnoid hemorrhage (Hunt and hess grade I, Fisher grade III). Serial cerebral angiograms did not show any intracranial vascular malformations; epilepsy and hypertension were successfully medically treated; and a repeat CT examination showed the gradual resolution of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Headache progressively disappeared.


CONCLUSIONS
Low neonatal birth weight could be linked to placental dysfunction and considered as a predictive factor for the onset of postpartum preeclampsia/eclampsia. We recommend a careful clinical and laboratory management of puerperium up to the first month postpartum, in particular in cases of "sine causa" neonatal low birth weight.
Tersigni
Chiara
C
Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Catholic University School of Medicine, Largo A. Gemelli 8, Rome, Italy.
Esposito
Giuseppe
G
Albanese
Alessio
A
D'Ippolito
Silvia
S
Sabatino
Giovanni
G
Di Simone
Nicoletta
N
Caruso
Alessandro
A
D000328:Adult; D004461:Eclampsia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*