title: Third Stage of Labor and Acupuncture.
abstract: Background:Acupuncture use in obstetrics has been increasing in Western medicine, especially to alleviate complications of pregnancy, the most important cause of maternal mortality worldwide. One quarter of maternal deaths are caused by complications in the third stage of labor, an interval between complete delivery of the baby and the complete expulsion of the placenta.Methods:This review analyzes the increased acupuncture use for pregnancy complications as a potential method of reducting maternal mortality during the third stage of labor. This overview focuses on acupuncture points and techniques to manage the third stage of labor and help patients with retained placentas. Passive (or expectant) management of the third stage of labor is occasionally associated with massive obstetric hemorrhage, a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality, especially in low-income countries.Conclusions:Active management of the third stage of labor has been shown to reduce the risk of postpartum hemorrhage. Use of acupuncture in the first and second stages of labor could lead to a faster separation of the placenta in the third stage of labor. The possible effects of acupuncture in cases of retained placentas may have significant implications for possible complications and final outcomes of labor. Further studies are needed for more conclusive results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Center "Sestre Milosrdnice ," Zagreb, Croatia .
authors.forename: Ivka
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Djakovic
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery "Jordanovac", University Hospital Center Zagreb , Jordanovac, Zagreb, Croatia .
authors.forename: Zeljko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Djakovic
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, University Hospital Center "Sestre Milosrdnice ," Zagreb, Croatia .
authors.forename: Nada
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bilić
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Center "Sestre Milosrdnice ," Zagreb, Croatia .
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Košec
keywords: Acupuncture; Postpartum Hemorrhage; Retained Placenta; Third Stage of Labor