Comparison of Blood Loss in Induced vs. Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery Using Specialized Blood Collection Bag

Abstract

Objective: To compare third stage blood loss in induced vs. spontaneous vaginal deliveries and to correlate the amount of blood loss with the decrease in haemoglobin following deliveries. Setting: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Kasturba Hospital Manipal, Karnataka, India. Materials and Methods: Blood loss following placental deliveries was measured by using special collection bags in 150 pregnant ladies who delivered vaginally by labour induction and it was compared with that of another 50 women who had spontaneous vaginal deliveries. Haemoglobin values were recorded for each patient prior to labour and after delivery of child. Results: The mean blood loss in induced group was 30 mL more than that in spontaneous group (202 ± 117 mL vs. 172 ± 114 mL), but this was not statistically significant (p=0.12). However, when different methods of induction were compared, oxytocin group was found to have significantly higher blood loss (327 ± 140 mL) as compared to that in other types of labour inductions as well as spontaneous deliveries. Labour induction using prostaglandins did not produce more blood loss as compared to that produced by spontaneous deliveries. Both induced and spontaneous delivery groups showed statistically significant drops in postdelivery haemoglobin values, but the drop was relatively more in induced group as compared to that in spontaneous vaginal delivery group (0.96gm/dL vs. 0.56gm/dL), which appeared to be statistically significant (p=0.001). Conclusion: Labour induction using prostaglandins is safe as compared to oxytocin usage. Accurate estimation of blood loss is important in all types of deliveries, in order to detect postpartum haemorrhage early, so that appropriate measures can be undertaken.

Keywords

• third stage blood loss
• postpartum haemorrhage
• labour induction
• oxytocin
• prostaglandins