puerperal

American  

[pyoo-ur-per-uhl] / pyuˈɜr pər əl /

adjective

1. of or relating to a woman in childbirth.

2. pertaining to or connected with childbirth.

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puerperal British  

/ pjuːˈɜːpərəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or occurring during the puerperium

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Other Word Forms

• postpuerperal adjective

Etymology

Origin of puerperal

First recorded in 1760–70, puerperal is from the New Latin word puerperālis of childbirth. See puerpera, -al ¹

Example Sentences

This is what happened in the women's hospitals of the 19th century, when doctors spread puerperal or "childbed" fever from one postpartum woman to another.

From Salon

While no official figures are collected for girls aged under 15, the WHO said mothers aged 10 to 19 face higher risks of eclampsia, puerperal endometritis and systemic infections than women aged 20 to 24.

From The Guardian

Semmelweis, once described as a “savior of mothers,” discovered that cases of puerperal fever could be significantly cut by washing hands before surgery.

From New York Times

Mary's own mother had died of puerperal sepsis 11 days after giving birth to her fame-bound daughter.

From Science Magazine

In 1847, he hypothesized that puerperal fever was spread by doctors carrying “cadaverous particles” from the deadhouse to the obstetrics ward at Vienna’s General Hospital.

From New York Times