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Updated: Aug 5, 2026

Biochemical Measurement of Neonatal Hypoxia
Published on: August 24, 2011
Pyruvate kinase deficiency: an unusual cause of puerperal jaundice
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, South Tyneside District General Hospital, South Shields, Tyne & Wear, UK.
Abstract:
We present one of the rarer causes of pregnancy-associated jaundice in the immediate puerperium. A 30-year-old multipara with pyruvate kinase deficiency became jaundiced within a few hours of delivery, following an uneventful pregnancy and labour at term. She responded to conservative management, the jaundice clearing and the altered liver function showing a steady return to normal. Pyruvate kinase deficiency may cause pregnancy-associated jaundice. A thorough investigation is still necessary to exclude other causes of jaundice in pregnancy and the puerperium.
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