Experts suggest drug to prevent bleeding after childbirth

KARACHI - Bleeding after childbirth is among the most common causes of maternal deaths in low-income countries that accounts for nearly one quarter of all casualties worldwide.
Addressing a seminar here Wednesday, Dr Fauziah Rabbani of Department of Community Health Sciences (CHS), Aga Khan University, said that Misoprostol is a drug to help stop post-birth bleeding faster and reduce blood loss to save the lives of mothers at risk in Pakistan. The seminar was aimed at disseminating the findings of community-based Misoprostol trials in Northern Pakistan.
Dr Rabbani highlighted the need for safe and low-cost intervention to help mothers survive bleeding after childbirth. Jill Durocher, Gynuity Health Projects, USA, pointed out that two-thirds of births take place at home in Pakistan.
“In hospitals, when birth complications cause severe bleeding, women are generally given an oxytocin injection to control the blood loss. But the injection, whilst still the most effective treatment available, is expensive and needs to be administered by a skilled health care professional, restricting its use in low-income and rural areas of Pakistan.
“Many births in rural setting are attended by family or community members not health providers. An unskilled attendant may not possess the skills to administer the injection, and in some cases, local laws may prohibit their use.
When post-birth bleeding occurs, quick treatment is needed; a woman may die within one hour, leaving little time for her to be taken to a local health care unit or hospital”, Dr Rabbani added.
She said Misoprostol, a tablet, provides an alternative treatment for after-birth bleeding. The tablet is easy to transport and store, can be taken orally, is inexpensive and widely available.