Facial and deep cervical infections during pregnancy and the postpartum period

Abstract

Facial and deep cervical infections comprise a portion of the infective conditions to affect the head and neck region. They may result in serious complications and may even pose a risk to life. This type of infection may occur during pregnancy or in the puerperium when the associated physiological changes may render the woman more susceptible to infection and prone to a more severe clinical course. In such patients, special care is needed to protect the fetus and mother, to ensure the pregnancy proceeds as normal, and to allow for breastfeeding. Following the discovery of antibiotics, deep neck infections have become relatively rare due to the widespread use of antibiotics, especially penicillin, worldwide [1]. For this reason, many clinicians may not be familiar with these types of infections. The purpose of this chapter is to raise awareness among ENT specialists and other clinicians and thus facilitate proper diagnosis and treatment and the prevention of complications.