Doctors have been asked to be aware of the symptoms of acute compartment syndrome —  a rare but unrecognised complication of labour — in women who have just given birth.

Australian doctors report on the case of a 26-year-old woman who developed the limb and life-threatening condition in her right leg after a caesarean delivery.

“Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) is not currently recognised by midwives and obstetricians as a potential complication that may occur following childbirth,” they write in BMC Case Reports.

“[They] should have knowledge of the predisposing factors for ACS, and its signs and symptoms, so that a delayed diagnosis and its subsequent consequences can be prevented.”