Injection of oxytocin into the intraumbilical vein diminished postpartum blood loss substantially.
Postpartum hemorrhage is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality, particularly in the developing world. Active management of the third stage of labor, which includes oxytocin administration to control postpartum blood loss, is recommended by the WHO. To assess the effects of intraumbilical vein injection of oxytocin on maternal blood loss, investigators in a large maternity hospital in Istanbul conducted a randomized controlled trial that involved 449 women at low risk for postpartum hemorrhage. All women underwent third-stage management that was standard at this institution (prophylactic intramuscular 10-IU oxytocin injections after delivery of the anterior shoulder, early umbilical cord clamping, and controlled cord traction);…