Title : Breastfeeding influence on vaginal bleeding in late labor: A comparative study
Abstract:
Background: Losing blood in the labour's 3rd stage is the primary factor that impacts maternal health. Immediate breastfeeding could be considered a saving factor in the life of mothers. Since it could naturally spread the oxytocin to stimulate the uterine contraction, dislodging the placenta by such contractions would be easier, reducing bleeding in the labour's 3rd stage. Objective: To determine the relationship of breastfeeding early initiation on the extent of vaginal bleeding in the labour's 3rd stage.
Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted at the Maternity Teaching Hospital in Sulaimaniyah/ Iraq. Participants were Three hundred pregnant women in 3rd stage of labour in the labour ward who were divided equally into an experimental group that applied early initiation of breastfeeding and a control group that followed routine hospital care and was under investigation for more than five months from 26th February 2020 to 30th July 2021. The probability simple randomization technique was used to ensure that all participants had an equal chance of being selected to participate in the study by the record sheet of structured observation, in which the measure of vaginal bleeding of women in 2 groups was assessed. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis.
Results: Based on the vaginal bleeding measure in the groups of control and experimental, it is revealed that the extent of vaginal bleeding in the control group was significantly higher than in the experimental group.
Conclusion: Breastfeeding immediately following birth is beneficial for reducing the measure of vaginal blood loss.
Keywords: Early breastfeeding, Third stage of labour, Vaginal blood loss.
