In plain words
Sheehan syndrome is damage to the pituitary gland caused by a large drop in blood flow after heavy bleeding around birth. The pituitary is a small gland at the base of the brain that signals other glands, including those that control milk production, the thyroid, and the adrenal glands. When it is damaged, a mother may have trouble making milk, feel unusually tired, or have no period for a long time. It is rare, and most mothers who bleed heavily do not develop it. Signs can appear days to weeks after birth, which is one reason it can be missed. Blood tests check pituitary hormone levels. Treatment depends on which hormones are low. A mother who notices milk that does not come in, or exhaustion that does not lift after a heavy bleed, can raise it with her provider.
The deeper version
Sheehan syndrome is postpartum pituitary necrosis, an ischemic infarction of the anterior pituitary usually following severe obstetric hemorrhage with hypotension. The gland enlarges in pregnancy, which may increase its vulnerability to ischemia. The condition was first described by Sheehan in 1937. Presentation ranges from failure of lactation and amenorrhea to panhypopituitarism with hypothyroidism, adrenal insufficiency, and hyponatremia. Diagnosis rests on low pituitary hormone levels with appropriate imaging. Partial forms with isolated deficits are recognized, and deficiency may be the first to appear, so lactation failure can be an early feature. The condition is rare, and its frequency varies by population and era. Treatment is hormone replacement guided by which axes are affected.
Where it comes up
- Hydration while breastfeedingNourishment and Traditions
- Lactation foods and galactagogues: what's knownFeeding Your Baby
- Low milk supply: real, perceived, and what helpsFeeding Your Baby
- When your milk comes inFeeding Your Baby
- Heavy bleeding after birth (hemorrhage)Birth and the First Days
- Postpartum thyroid problemsPostpartum: Your Body
- When your period comes backPostpartum: Your Body
What mothers here say about Sheehan syndrome
No one has posted under this term yet.
Sources
- Sheehan HL — Postpartum necrosis of the anterior pituitary. Journal of Pathology and Bacteriology 1937