Finding Better Ways to Prevent Postpartum Hemorrhage

Postpartum hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal death in low-income countries.1 Although moderate bleeding after childbirth is not problematic in most healthy mothers, it can be life-threatening in mothers with clinically significant anemia, and severe bleeding can be rapidly fatal. Prevention of excessive postpartum bleeding is essential. The administration of drugs to contract the uterus (uterotonic agents) immediately after delivery is the cornerstone of strategies to prevent excessive postpartum bleeding.2 The uterine smooth muscle is believed to act as a living ligature that compresses bleeding blood vessels, stemming the flow of blood. Although there are remarkably few high-quality trials . . .