Active management of third stage of labour: practice and associated factors among obstetric care providers’ at health facilities in Kambata-Tembaro Zone, Southern Ethiopia 2018

Abstract

Background Every year, more than half a million women die to pregnancy and child birth related complications worldwide. 1 Bleeding is a leading direct cause of maternal death, representing 27.1% of maternal death. More than two third of reported maternal death from bleeding was classified as postpartum haemorrhage. 2 In Africa 33.9 % of maternal deaths are due to postpartum haemorrhage. 3 In Ethiopia, twenty thousand women die due to pregnancy and child birth complications. The majority of the deaths occur due to excessive bleeding after child birth within first four hours. 4-6 Postpartum haemorrhage remains a major cause of severe maternal morbidity in low resources countries. In countries with lack resources, the most prominent challenges are; lack of qualified health care providers, the insufficient or incorrect practice of active management of the third stage of labour, the underestimation of blood loss and also the impairment in communication and transportation infrastructure. 7 Postpartum haemorrhage can be prevented by active management of third stage of labour. However about 10% of all maternal deaths were averted with full use of active management of third stage of labour. 2,8