Table 1.
Baseline and delivery characteristics by study group*
| Misoprostol n = 533 | Placebo n = 583 | |
|---|---|---|
| Age (years) mean (SD) | 28 (5) | 27 (4) |
| Parity | ||
| Para 1 | 103 (19.3) | 117 (20.1) |
| Para 2 | 142 (26.7) | 134 (23.0) |
| Para 3–5 | 226 (42.4) | 270 (46.3) |
| Para 6 or more | 62 (11.6) | 62 (10.6) |
| Pre-delivery Hb** | ||
| Mean (SD) | 12.7 (1.6) | 12.9 (1.5) |
| Median (IQR)*** | 12.8 (11.7, 13.7) | 13.0 (12.0, 14.0) |
| Range | 8.2–18.0 | 8.2–16.8 |
| Pre-delivery Hb < 9 g/dl** | 5 (0.9) | 6 (1.0) |
| Pre-delivery Hb < 11 g/dl** | 73 (13.8) | 65 (11.3) |
| Number of ANC visits median (IQR) | 6 (4, 8) | 6 (4, 8) |
| Iron folate tablets taken during pregnancy | 455 (85.4) | 485 (83.3) |
| Number of months during pregnancy for which iron folate tablets were taken, median (IQR) | 3 (2, 4) | 3 (2, 4) |
| Highest level of school attended | (n = 531) | (n = 580) |
| No formal education | 386 (72.7) | 397 (68.4) |
| Primary | 53 (10.0) | 79 (13.6) |
| Secondary and above | 92 (17.3) | 99 (17.0) |
| Woman’s occupation (multiple responses possible) | ||
| Housewife | 527 (98.9) | 573 (98.3) |
| Farmer | 92 (17.3) | 78 (13.4) |
| Professional | 9 (1.7) | 13 (2.2) |
| Delivery characteristics | ||
| Baby born alive | 528 (99.1) | 575 (98.6) |
| Nipple stimulation performed by TBA at delivery | 118 (22.1) | 111 (19.0) |
| Uterine massage performed by TBA at delivery | 389 (73.0) | 423 (72.6) |
| Cord traction performed by TBA at delivery | 151 (28.3) | 168 (28.8) |
| Time (minutes) between delivery of baby and placenta as estimated by TBAs, median (IQR) | 20 (10, 30) | 15 (10, 30) |
| Placental delivery within 30 minutes of delivery of baby | 368 (69.0) | 418 (71.7) |
IQR, interquartile range.
*
Numbers are n (%) unless otherwise specified.
**
Predelivery haemoglobin measures available for 528 women in misoprostol group and 573 women in placebo group.
***
Mann–Whitney U test confirms statistical significance with two-tailed P-value of 0.043.