A Birth Procedure Does Little to Prevent Bleeding
21 March 2012
This is the VOA Special English Health Report.
Severe bleeding, also called hemorrhage, causes one-third of pregnancy-related deaths in Asia and Africa.
The World Health Organization has been recommending several ways to reduce the risk of hemorrhage immediately after birth. These include giving the mother a hormone called oxytocin. It helps the uterus expel the placenta, or afterbirth. Another recommendation to help expel the placenta has been to use what is called controlled-cord traction. In this procedure, the birth attendant gently pulls on the umbilical cord while pushing upwards on the mother's stomach.
Uncontrolled bleeding, or hemorrhage, is responsible for one-third of pregnancy-related deaths in Asia and Africa.
Dr. Metin Gulmezoglu of the World Health Organization led a study on the effectiveness of controlled-cord traction. He says it is not easy to perform and, if it is not done correctly, it can harm the mother.
METIN GULMEZOGLU: "If it’s not applied by people who are skilled in doing it, then it may cause more problems."
The study involved more than twenty-three thousand pregnant women who had vaginal births. The births happened in sixteen hospitals and two primary health-care centers in eight countries. These were Argentina, Egypt, India, Kenya, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand and Uganda.
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