Noun: puerperal fever
- 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, puerperal fever was a leading cause of maternal mortality";
- childbed fever
Derived forms: puerperal fevers
Type of: blood poisoning, septicaemia [Brit, Cdn], septicemia [N. Amer]
Encyclopedia: Puerperal fever