Health News

New Low-Cost Treatment Process Could Save Thousands of New Mothers' Lives Annually

A recent study has suggested that pairing a low-cost device with a quick bundle of treatments to stop blood loss could save an estimated 22,000 maternal lives annually. 

Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the research focused on ways to detect and reduce postpartum hemorrhages, the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. 

The study enrolled over 210,000 women across 80 hospitals in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Tanzania. Participants who received a bundle of treatments within 15 minutes, guided by measurements received by a calibrated plastic drape, experienced a significant 60% reduction in severe blood loss. The study has recommended the simultaneous delivery of different treatments to help save precious time.

The widespread implementation of the proposed regimen would require governments to supply calibrated drapes and the components of the treatment bundle, including two kinds of drugs, along with trained personnel to administer them. Dr. Willibald Zeck, the chief of sexual and reproductive health and rights at the United Nations Population Fund, who was not involved in the trial, said that the proposed interventions "could potentially be a significant development."