Noun: childbed fever 'chI(-u)ld,bed 'fee-vu(r)
- Serious form of septicemia contracted by a woman during childbirth or abortion (usually attributable to unsanitary conditions); formerly widespread but now uncommon
"In the 19th century, childbed fever was a leading cause of maternal mortality";
- puerperal fever
Type of: blood poisoning, septicaemia [Brit, Cdn], septicemia [N. Amer]
Encyclopedia: Childbed fever