Misoprostol: preventing postpartum haemorrhage

Postpartum haemorrhage is an important cause of maternal mortality and morbidity. In the developing world, it is estimated to account for 28% of maternal deaths. Evidence suggests that active management of the third stage of labour using oxytocics, significantly reduces the risk of PPH. Oxytocics ar...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inModern midwife Vol. 7; no. 9; p. 23
Main Author Walder, J
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England 01.09.1997
Subjects
Developing Countries
Female
Global Health
Humans
Misoprostol - therapeutic use
Oxytocics - therapeutic use
Postpartum Hemorrhage - drug therapy
Postpartum Hemorrhage - prevention & control
Pregnancy
United Kingdom
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Summary:Postpartum haemorrhage is an important cause of maternal mortality and morbidity. In the developing world, it is estimated to account for 28% of maternal deaths. Evidence suggests that active management of the third stage of labour using oxytocics, significantly reduces the risk of PPH. Oxytocics are not always used in the developing world, due to storage problems, mode of administration and associated side-effects. Research using misoprostol, a prostaglandin, suggests that it may be effective in the prevention of PPH. It is given orally, does not require refrigeration and has few side-effects. Further research is planned, if misoprostol is found to be an acceptable alternative to other oxytocic agents, then it may be instrumental in reducing world wide deaths from PPH.
ISSN:0963-276X