Postpartum intracranial haemorrhage in normotensive users of bromocriptine for ablactation

The authors describe three cases of severe intracranial haemorrhage, associated with marked blood pressure elevation, which occurred between the 6th and 10th days postpartum in women taking bromocriptine for ablactation. All of these patients were young, normotensive and apparently healthy during the pregnancy. These incidents probably present the 10–12th reported cases of gross intracranial bleeding among users of bromocriptine in the puerperium. The results suggest that early diagnosis and prompt surgical intervention may improve the outcome for this rare but potentially catastrophic postpartum complication. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.