‘POST-CHILDBIRTH HAEMORRHAGE LEADING CAUSE OF MATERNAL MORTALITY’

Excessive bleeding after childbirth, also called postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) was a leading cause of maternal mortality, said Dr Manju Shukla, scientific chairperson of the 20th Indian Conference of National Association of Reproductive and Child Health that started on Friday.

“Women having pregnancy beyond 20 weeks’ gestation are at risk. Although maternal mortality rates have declined across the world, PPH still remains a leading cause of maternal mortality, specially in developing countries such as India,” she said.

PPH is blood loss of more than 500 ml following vaginal delivery or more than 1000 ml following caesarean delivery. Loss of blood within 24 hours of delivery is termed early or primary PPH, while it is termed late or secondary PPH if it happens 24 hours after delivery. Dr Chandrawati said, “World Health Organisation statistics suggest that 25 % of maternal deaths are due to PPH, accounting for more than 100,000 maternal deaths per year.”

Dr Preeti Kumar of gynaecology department of KGMU said estimates of blood loss at delivery were subjective and generally inaccurate.