Brief Statement
FIGO Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health Committee
31 August 2012
FIGO reaffirms the use of misoprostol in the prevention and treatment of post-partum haemorrhage
An article by Chu et al. published in the August 2012 issue of the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine questions the evidence that supports the use of misoprostol for the prevention of post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) at the community level. Prior to publication of the article, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) independently conducted extensive expert reviews of the scientific data and both concluded that misoprostol is a safe and effective therapy for the prevention of PPH when oxytocin is not available or cannot be safely used. In 2011, WHO added misoprostol for the prevention of PPH to its Model List of Essential Medicines.
In 2012, FIGO finalised guidelines that reflect the latest best available research on the prevention and treatment of PPH with misoprostol. The guidelines include evidence-based recommendations for dosages and routes of administration as well as the side effects and precautions associated with its use. The guidelines are available in English, French and Spanish and can be accessed through www.figo.org.
FIGO advises national societies to continue the use of misoprostol for the prevention and treatment of PPH when oxytocin is not available or is not feasible.