Diseases of Liver.—Acute yellow atrophy is a rare condition, which, for reasons unknown, is promoted by pregnancy.
The symptoms are intense headache and pain in the abdomen, possibly accompanied by vomiting and purging, which are soon followed by coma. There is generally a certain amount of jaundice. The urine is diminished in amount and contains albumin, casts, and sometimes blood. There is no known treatment, and the end is death.
Diabetes is seldom found associated with pregnancy. Its presence is unfavorable to conception and to gestation. Mother and child are both less secure. Abortion or premature labor is the rule.
The hæmorrhages of pregnancy in the first half generally mean abortion, and in the last half, either placenta prævia or premature detachment of the normally implanted placenta (see p. [228]).
Abortion is the expulsion of the ovum before the fœtus is viable, that is, before it is capable of maintaining life after birth. This means the twenty-eighth week, or the seventh month. Subsequent to the seventh month, the interruption is called premature labor. Abortion is a miniature labor, consisting of a stage of dilatation, a stage of expulsion, and a stage of involution.
The interruption of the pregnancy may occur spontaneously or be induced. In spontaneous cases the causes may be sought in diseases of the ovum, or in the mother, in injuries to the uterus or its contents, and such systemic affections as syphilis, Bright’s disease, alcoholism, lead poisoning, etc.
Abortions happen about once in every five or six pregnancies, and more frequently at the third month than at any other time.
The symptoms are hæmorrhage and pain. The dangers are hæmorrhage and infection.
Infection is most common and most serious in abortions that are brought about mechanically.
Hæmorrhage, in some degree, is an invariable symptom, which has its origin in the separation of the ovum from the uterine wall. Hæmorrhage from the uterus is serious at whatever stage of pregnancy it appears.