Measurement of blood loss at childbirth and postpartum

Objective: To accurately measure blood loss during childbirth in a developing country. Method:The alkaline hematin technique was used to quantify blood lost during delivery and 24 h postpartum in 158 women in Pemba Island, Zanzibar. Result: Women were found to lose less blood during childbirth and 24 h postpartum than previously reported. Compared with laboratory values, nurse-midwives approximated blood loss accurately (mean difference, i.e., mean underestimation by nurse-midwives, 4.90 mL); however, their imprecision was greater for higher laboratory values. Conclusion: This study may prompt further investigation, as no comparable data exist for developing countries where maternal mortality is high and severe anemia prevalent. (c) 2006 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.