Sheehan syndrome

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Endocrine glands

Sheehan syndrome is a condition that may occur in a woman who has a severe uterine hemorrhage during childbirth. The resulting severe blood loss causes tissue death in her pituitary gland and leads to hypopituitarism following the birth.

Postpartum hypopituitarism; Postpartum pituitary insufficiency; Hypopituitarism Syndrome

If a woman's pituitary gland is starved of blood because she bled severely during childbirth, the gland may lose its ability to function properly. The pituitary gland, which is located at the base of the brain, produces hormones that help regulate growth, reproduction, and metabolism.

Today, Sheehan syndrome is very rare.

Conditions that increase the risk of an obstetric hemorrhage and Sheehan syndrome include multiple pregnancies (twins or triplets) and abnormalities of the placenta.

Review Date: 11/08/2006
Reviewed By: Audra Robertson, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.