Asymptomatic Postpartum Bradycardia: A Case of Spontaneous Resolution in a 34-Year-Old Woman.

Abstract

BACKGROUND Maternal bradycardia in the postpartum period, without evidence of heart failure, is rare and usually self-limiting. Maternal bradycardia lasts a few days at most, but requires clinical observation and investigations to exclude cardiac disease or the effects of vasoactive medications or anesthesia. This report describes the case of a 34-year-old woman with self-limiting postpartum bradycardia as an incidental finding at a routine day 15 postnatal check-up. CASE REPORT A 34-year-old woman, para 2, presented for her routine day 15 postnatal check-up following an uneventful vaginal delivery. She was asymptomatic but was noted to have bradycardia, with a heart rate of 50 beats per min, confirmed by electrocardiogram as sinus bradycardia. Investigations, including blood tests, 24-h Holter monitoring, and echocardiography, ruled out structural heart disease or other pathologies. She was treated conservatively, and her heart rate normalized spontaneously by 6 weeks postpartum. CONCLUSIONS This report highlights the condition of postpartum maternal bradycardia and shows the importance of clinical history, thorough investigations, and follow-up to guide appropriate management and avoid unnecessary interventions.