Should oral misoprostol be used to prevent postpartum haemorrhage in home-birth settings in low-resource countries? A systematic review of the evidence

BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Volumn 120, Issue 3, 2013, Pages 277-287

  Hundley, V A ^a,b   Avan, B I ^c   Sullivan, C J ^d   Graham, W J ^e  

^a BOURNEMOUTH UNIVERSITY   (United Kingdom)

^b UNIVERSITY OF STIRLING   (United Kingdom)

^c LONDON SCHOOL OF HYGIENE AND TROPICAL MEDICINE   (United Kingdom)

^d Inova Learning Network   (United States)

^e UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

Haemorrhage; home birth settings; low resource countries; misoprostol; postpartum

Indexed keywords

MISOPROSTOL; PLACEBO; UTEROTONIC AGENT;

COCHRANE LIBRARY; DIARRHEA; DRUG EFFICACY; DRUG SAFETY; FEVER; HEALTH CARE PERSONNEL; HEALTH CARE PLANNING; HOME DELIVERY; HUMAN; INCIDENCE; MATERNAL MORTALITY; MEDLINE; META ANALYSIS; NEWBORN DISEASE; NEWBORN MORTALITY; POSTPARTUM HEMORRHAGE; PRIORITY JOURNAL; PUBLICATION; RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (TOPIC); REVIEW; SHIVERING; SYSTEMATIC REVIEW; VOMITING;

EID: 84872382432     PISSN: 14700328     EISSN: 14710528     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.12049     Document Type: Review

References (51)

1. World Health Organization. WHO Guidelines for the Management of Postpartum Haemorrhage and Retained Placenta. Geneva: WHO, 2009.
2. Khan KS, Wojdyla D, Say L, Metin Gülmezoglu A, Van Look PFA,. WHO analysis of causes of maternal death: a systematic review. Lancet 2006; 367: 1066-74.
3. Abalos E,. Choice of Uterotonic Agents in the Active Management of the Third Stage of Labour: RHL commentary. (last revised: 2 March 2009) The WHO Reproductive Health Library; Geneva: World Health Organization, 2009.
4. Gülmezoglu AM, Mathai M, Hill S,. WHO Statement Regarding the use of Misoprostol for Postpartum Haemorrhage Prevention and Treatment. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2009.
5. United Nations Population Fund. The State of the World's Midwifery, 2011: Delivering Health, Saving Lives. New York: UNFPA, 2011.
6. Crowe S, Utley M, Costello A, Pagel C., How many births in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia will not be attended by a skilled birth attendant between 2011 and 2015? BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2012; 12: 000-000 doi: 10.1186/1471-2393-12-4.
7. Walraven G, Blum J, Dampha Y, Sowe M, Morison L, Winikoff B, et al. Misoprostol in the management of the third stage of labour in the home delivery setting in rural Gambia: a randomised controlled trial. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 2005; 112: 1277-83.
8. Walraven G, Dampha Y, Bubacarr B, Sowe M, Hofmeyr J,. Misoprostol in the treatment of postpartum haemorrhage in addition to routine management: a placebo randomised controlled trial. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 2004; 111: 1014-7.
9. Rajbhandari S, Hodgins S, Sanghvi H, McPherson R, Pradhan YV, Baqui AH, et al. Expanding uterotonic protection following childbirth through community-based distribution of misoprostol: operations research study in Nepal. ISRN Obstet Gynecol 2010; 108: 282-8.
10. Potts M, Prata N, Sahin-Hodoglugil NN,. Maternal mortality: one death every 7 min. Lancet 2010; 375: 1762-3.
11. Walraven G, Wanyonyi S, Stones W,. Management of post-partum hemorrhage in low-income countries. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol 2008; 22: 1013-23.
12. Pagel C, Lewycka S, Colbourn T, Mwansambo C, Meguid T, Chiudzu G, et al. Estimation of potential effects of improved community-based drug provision, to augment health-facility strengthening, on maternal mortality due to post-partum haemorrhage and sepsis in sub-Saharan Africa: an equity-effectiveness model. Lancet 2009; 374: 1441-8.
13. Sutherland T, Bishai DM,. Cost-effectiveness of misoprostol and prenatal iron supplementation as maternal mortality interventions in home births in rural India. ISRN Obstet Gynecol 2009; 104: 189-93.
14. World Health Organization. Clarifying WHO Position on Misoprostol use in the Community to Reduce Maternal Death. Geneva: WHO, 2010.
15. Blum J, Alfirevic Z, Walraven G, Weeks A, Winikoff B,. Treatment of postpartum hemorrhage with misoprostol. ISRN Obstet Gynecol 2007; 99: S202-5.
16. Chong YS, Su LL,. Misoprostol for preventing PPH: some lessons learned. Lancet 2006; 368: 1216-8.
17. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gynuity Health Projects. Misoprostol for Prevention and Treatment of Post-Partum Hemorrhage (PPH): Current Knowledge and Future Directions, 2009. [http://gynuity.org/downloads/meeting-report.pdf]. Last accessed 19 October 2012.
18. Population Action International. Maternal Health Supplies in Uganda. Washington, DC: Population Action International, 2010.
19. HRP, WHO. Science-Driven Innovations for Combating Maternal and Perinatal ill-Health: The G.R.E.A.T. Project. Geneva: WHO, 2010. [www.who.int/ reproductivehealth/topics/best-practices/Great-Project-2010.pdf]. Last accessed 19 October 2012.
20. Population Action International. Maternal Health Supplies in Bangladesh. Washington, DC: Population Action International, 2010.
21. Jadesimi A, Okonofua FE,. Tackling the unacceptable: Nigeria approves misoprostol for postpartum haemorrhage. J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care 2006; 32: 213-4.
22. World Health Organization. WHO Model list of Essential Medicines. 17th List. Geneva: WHO, 2011. [http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2011/a95053-eng.pdf]. Last accessed 19 October 2012.
23. World Health Organization, Department of Reproductive Health and Research. Essential Newborn Care: report of a Technical Working Group. WHO/FRH/MSM/96.13. Geneva: WHO, 1996.
24. Hundley V, Avan B, Braunholtz D, Fitzmaurice A, Graham W,. Lessons regarding the use of birth kits in low resource countries. Midwifery 2011; 27: e222-30.
25. Venture Strategies Innovations. Bangladesh, 2011. [http://www. vsinnovations.org/bangladesh.html]. Last accessed 19 October 2012.
26. Bixby Center. Preventing Postpartum Hemorrhage with Misoprostol. Berkley: University of California. [http://bixby.berkeley.edu/research/maternal-health/ miso/]. Last accessed 19 October 2012.
27. Gülmezoglu AM, Forna F, Villar J, Hofmeyr GJ., Prostaglandins for preventing postpartum haemorrhage. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2007, Art. No.: CD000494. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000494.pub3.
28. The World Bank. How We Classify Countries. [http://data.worldbank.org/ about/country-classifications]. Last accessed 19 October 2012.
29. Hofmeyr GJ, Gülmezoglu AM, Novikova N, Linder V, Ferreira S, Piaggio G,. Misoprostol to prevent and treat postpartum haemorrhage: a systematic review and meta-analysis of maternal deaths and dose-related effects. Bull World Health Organ 2009; 87: 666-77.
30. Durocher J, Bynum J, Leõn W, Barrera G, Winikoff B,. High fever following postpartum administration of sublingual misoprostol. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 2010; 117: 845-52.
31. Sheldon WR, Blum J, Durocher J, Winikoff B,. Misoprostol for the prevention and treatment of postpartum hemorrhage. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2012; 21: 235-50.
32. Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network. SIGN 50: A Guideline Developer's Handbook. Edinburgh: NHS Quality Improvement Scotland, 2008. [www.sign.ac.uk/guidelines/fulltext/50/index.html]. Last accessed 19 October 2012.
33. Guyatt GH, Oxman AD, Vist GE, Kunz R, Faick-Ytter Y, Alonso-Coello P, et al. GRADE: an emerging consensus on rating quality of evidence and strength of recommendations. Br Med J 2008; 336: 924-6.
34. Derman RJ, Kodkany BS, Goudar SS, Geller SE, Naik VA, Bellad MB, et al. Oral misoprostol in preventing postpartum haemorrhage in resource-poor communities: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2006; 368: 1248-53.
35. Patted SS, Goudar SS, Naik VA, Bellad MB, Edlavitch SA, Kodkany BS, et al. Side effects of oral misoprostol for the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage: results of a community-based randomised controlled trial in rural India. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2009; 22: 24-8.
36. Geller SE, Goudar SS, Adams MG, Naik VA, Patel A, Bellad MB, et al. Factors associated with acute postpartum hemorrhage in low-risk women delivering in rural India. ISRN Obstet Gynecol 2008; 101: 94-9.
37. Goudar SS, Chakraborty H, Edlavitch SA, Naik VA, Bellad MB, Patted SS, et al. Variation in the postpartum hemorrhage rate in a clinical trial of oral misoprostol. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2008; 21: 559-64.
38. Kodkany BS, Derman RJ, Goudar SS, Geller SE, Edlavitch SA, Naik VA, et al. Initiating a novel therapy in preventing postpartum hemorrhage in rural India: a joint collaboration between the United States and India. Int J Fertil Womens Med 2004; 49: 91-6.
39. Sanghvi H, Ansari N, Prata NJV, Gibson H, Ehsan AT, Smith JM,. Prevention of postpartum hemorrhage at home birth in Afghanistan. ISRN Obstet Gynecol 2010; 108: 276-81.
40. Prata N, Gessessew A, Abraha AK, Holston M, Potts M,. Prevention of postpartum hemorrhage: options for home births in rural Ethiopia. Afr J Reprod Health 2009; 13: 87-95.
41. Mayer Hashi Project. Community-Based Distribution of Misoprostol for the Prevention of Postpartum Hemorrhage: Evaluation of a Pilot Intervention in Tangail District, Bangladesh. Dhaka: EngenderHealth/Mayer Hashi Project, 2010.
42. Htay TT,. Making pregnancy safer in Myanmar: introducing misoprostol to prevent post-partum haemorrhage as part of active management of the third stage of labour. Reprod Health Matters 2007; 15: 214-5.
43. Mobeen N, Durocher J, Zuberi NF, Jahan N, Blum J, Wasim S, et al. Administration of misoprostol by trained traditional birth attendants to prevent postpartum haemorrhage in homebirths in Pakistan: a randomised placebo-controlled trial. BJOG 2011 Feb; 118 (3): 353-61
44. Sanghvi H, Wiknjjosastro G, Chanpong G, Fishel J, Ahmed S, Zulkarnain M,. Prevention of Postpartum Hemorrhage Study, West Java, Indonesia. Baltimore, Maryland: JHPIEGO, Maternal and Neonatal Health Program, 2004.
45. Nasreen HE, Nahar S, Mamun MA, Afsana K, Byass P,. Oral misoprostol for preventing postpartum harmorrhage in home births in rural Bangladesh: how effective is it? Glob Health Action 2011; 4 DOI: 10.3402/gha.v4i0.7017.
46. Diadhiou M, Dieng T, Ortiz C, Mall I, Dione D, Sloan NL,. Introduction of misoprostol for prevention of postpartum hemorrhage at the community level in Senegal. ISRN Obstet Gynecol 2011; 115: 251-5.
47. Prata N, Ejembi C, Fraser A, Shittu O, Minkler M,. Community mobilization to reduce postpartum hemorrhage in home births in northern Nigeria. Soc Sci Med 2012; 74: 1288-96.
48. WHO, editors. Definitions of the health workforce data. Global Atlas of the Health Workforce. Geneva: WHO, 2010. [http://apps.who.int/globalatlas/docs/ HRH/HTML/Dftn.html]. Last accessed 19 October 2012.
49. Hundley V, Avan B, Braunholtz D, Graham WJ,. Are birth kits a good idea? A systematic review of the evidence. Midwifery 2012; 28: 204-15.
50. Hofmeyr GJ, Gülmezoglu AM,. Misoprostol for the prevention and treatment of postpartum haemorrhage. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol 2008; 22: 1025-41.
51. Nepal Family Health Program II. Technical Brief #11 (Revised January 2012): Community Based Postpartum Hemorrhage Prevention. USAID and Nepal Family Health Program. Washington DC 2012.