Recently, a postpartum woman in Zibo, Shandong Province died of heatstroke during her confinement. When she was taken to the hospital, her body temperature reached over 40 degrees Celsius, and her heart and liver were both damaged to varying degrees. The family explained that in order to have a proper confinement period, they did not use fans or air conditioning at home, and the woman wore long-sleeved clothes and pants, and even covered herself with a blanket. This is not an isolated case, as there have been multiple incidents of postpartum women dying from heatstroke during their confinement, especially in the hot summer. So how can we prevent this tragedy from happening again? Let's take a look with me today!
[Old Beliefs]
Postpartum women are afraid of drafts, so windows and doors must be tightly closed, and they must cover their heads and feet, and absolutely cannot use air conditioning.
[Advice from the Head Nurse of the Obstetrics Department at Fudan University Affiliated Maternity Hospital]
1. Postpartum women are relatively weak and prone to sweating. If the indoor temperature is too high, it can affect rest and mood, which is detrimental to postpartum recovery. If the excess heat in the body of the postpartum woman cannot be dissipated in time, it can cause acute heat illness with central temperature regulation dysfunction, also known as heatstroke. Symptoms include high fever, water and electrolyte imbalance, circulatory failure, and neurological damage. Therefore, it is definitely not recommended to "wrap up" during confinement in the summer.
2. The temperature during the hottest days of summer is particularly high. For postpartum women, using air conditioning is more effective in cooling down compared to using fans. However, there are also precautions when using air conditioning. The temperature should be kept at around 25-26 degrees Celsius, and the air conditioning wind should not blow directly at the postpartum woman. If there is a concern about catching a cold, the postpartum woman can wear thin, moderate thickness, loose, and comfortable long-sleeved clothes, pants, and socks.
3. If family members have different needs and are genuinely concerned about the postpartum woman catching a cold and getting sick, there is a little trick: turn on the air conditioning in the living room or another room, and let the cool air slowly blow into the postpartum woman's room, bringing a sense of coolness.
4. In addition to maintaining a suitable temperature, ventilation is also important. It is recommended to open the windows and ventilate the room every two hours to ensure fresh air in the home, which is crucial for preventing the occurrence of infectious diseases.
The tragedy of postpartum women dying from heatstroke during their confinement can be completely avoided. The advice given by the head nurse of the Obstetrics Department at Fudan University Affiliated Maternity Hospital is more scientific and reasonable. Let's not let outdated beliefs harm innocent postpartum women anymore!
