Objectives: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is one of three main causes of maternal mortality and a life-threatening condition throughout the world. PPH can have irreversible complications for the mother even if it does not lead to death. This study was conducted to determine the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Capsella bursa pastoris on early PPH.
Design: The present study was a single-blinded, randomized, clinical trial.
Setting: The study was conducted in Afzalipour Hospital of Kerman in 2015.
Subjects: The subjects included 100 women who had given vaginal birth and met the study inclusion criteria.
Intervention: The participants were selected and randomly assigned into an intervention group (n = 50) and a placebo group (n = 50). Immediately after placental expulsion, the intervention group was given 10 sublingual drops of the hydroalcoholic extract of Capsella bursa pastoris plus an infusion of 20 U of oxytocin in 1 L of Ringer's solution, and the control group was given 10 sublingual drops of the placebo plus an infusion of 20 U of oxytocin in 1 L of Ringer's solution.
Outcome measures: The amount of bleeding was assessed in both groups. Hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were measured in all the participants 6 h after childbirth. The statistical analysis of the data was performed in SPSS-17 using the following tests: independent t, paired t, repeated measures ANOVA, Friedman's, Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney, Fisher's exact, and chi square. P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: There were no significant differences between groups in baseline characteristics (p > 0.05). After the intervention, there was significant decrease in the amount of postpartum bleeding in both groups. However, the mean decrease in the amount of bleeding was significantly more in the Capsella bursa pastoris group (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Compared with the mere administration of oxytocin, sublingual Capsella bursa drops appear to be effective in reducing PPH in this study. Further research regarding the efficacy and safety of various doses of Capsella bursa pastoris is required.
Keywords: Capsella bursa pastoris; PPH; oxytocin; postpartum hemorrhage.