Blood loss at delivery: how accurate is your estimation?

Abstract

This paper will examine the literature on blood loss at delivery and report the findings of a small pilot study where midwives and doctors were asked to estimate blood loss at simulated stations. The results were analysed using simple frequency distribution.

This simple study demonstrated that midwives and other health professionals underestimate blood loss at delivery by 30–50%. The implication for midwives is that there is a need to double their estimated blood loss at delivery when it is over 500 ml.