Effect of melatonin on postpartum hemorrhage in vaginal delivery: A prospectivrandomized double-blind study

Abstract

Background. The similarities between the melatonin and oxytocin signaling could promote myometrium contractility. We conducted this study to determine the effect of melatonin on the bleeding during and after vaginal delivery. Methods. The current double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on 140 pregnant women at term with labor pain. Subjects in the melatonin group received three sublingual doses of melatonin from labor room staff as follows: 6 mg in 7 cm dilatation, 3 mg after delivery of the fetus and 3 mg one hour after the delivery. The same schedule was conducted for the subjects in the placebo group by giving the placebo. The hemoglobin levels before and 24 hours after vaginal delivery, the hemodynamic variables were recorded. Results. There was a significant difference between the groups regarding the mean of hematocrit changes in the melatonin (3.59 ± 2.89) and placebo (5.29 ± 3.19) groups (P = 0.001). The mean variation of systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and heart rate (HR) show a significant difference among two groups of the study (P = 0.021, P = .020 and 0.001, respectively). Conclusions. The sublingual of melatonin to pregnant women with labor pain could reduce the amount of blood loss after the vaginal delivery. Furthermore, melatonin could provide hemodynamic stability.