World Health Organization Study Reveals Drug Could Save New Mothers’ Lives

Although many of us don’t consider the dangers of childbirth in the modern age, the reality is that pregnancy can prove fatal — even here in the United States. The U.S. actually has the highest rate of maternal deaths among developed countries, with around 700 female fatalities related to complications during pregnancy or delivery, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of course, worldwide statistics are even more harrowing; as the World Health Organization (WHO) reports, 70,000 women die every year as a result of post-partum hemorrhages alone. But according to a recent WHO study, childbirth could soon become a whole lot safer — thanks to a new formulation of a drug that’s already in use.

After a new mother delivers a baby, her work isn’t totally done. She still has to deliver the placenta, which can actually be quite hazardous to the mother’s health. The placenta is attached to the uterus, but during delivery, it tears away. This, combined with the uterus’s other blood vessels, can lead to massive bleeding. In some cases, the uterus is able to stop this bleeding on its own. But for one in six women, the uterus is unable to contract the vessels shut quickly enough — and that leaves the mom at risk for losing too much blood. Although only 3% of patients who go to urgent care need to be diverted for treatment in an ER, this can prove to be a life-threatening event that can prove fatal for many new moms.

In the United States, women are usually given oxytocin — sometimes known as the “hormone of love,” which is naturally secreted during sexual intercourse, after ovulation, and during birth and breastfeeding — to help the uterus squeeze more tightly to close the blood vessels. However, oxytocin isn’t always an option in other nations; although it’s technically available in other places, it’s often not viable due to the way in which it has to be stored.

That’s because oxytocin has to be stored and transported at temperatures below 86 degrees Fahrenheit — a tall order for many countries. According to OB-GYN Dr. Jeffrey Smith, this presents a big issue.

“In many clinics around the world,” Smith explained to NPR, “oxytocin will be sitting on the shelf, ready to be used, but health workers don’t know which vials have lost their potency.”

But WHO has developed a workaround for the need for oxytocin that could potentially save tens of thousands of lives on an annual basis. A heat-stable version of a molecule similar to oxytocin, known as carbetocin, was developed a few years ago by chemists working at Ferring Pharmaceuticals. This molecule remains potent even when it’s been exposed to high temperatures for a long period. In fact, it remains viable after sitting in 104 degree heat for six months or in 86 degree temperatures for three years.

Best of all, it’s proved to be just as effective and just as safe as oxytocin in a worldwide trial that involved almost 30,000 across 10 different countries, including South Africa, India, Kenya, Egypt, Thailand, Argentina, Nigeria, Singapore, Uganda, and the United Kingdom. After the women gave birth, they were each given either oxytocin or heat-stable carbetocin to prevent excessive bleeding; although both drugs were kept below 86 degrees Fahrenheit, the results proved that they were equally effective. It’s expected that in higher temperature settings, carbetocin would produce even more impressive results.

In the study, Dr. Metin Gulmezoglu from WHO’s Department of Reproductive Health and Research department noted: “The development of a drug to prevent postpartum hemorrhage that continues to remain effective in hot and humid conditions is very good news for the millions of women who give birth in parts of the world without access to reliable refrigeration.”

Next, WHO plans to ask its Guideline Development Group to consider recommending heat-stable carbetocin to prevent post-partum hemorrhages; the study results and the drug itself will be subject to regulatory review and approval by different countries around the world. With any luck, new mothers — no matter where they live — will soon have access to reliable medical treatment during a pivotal time in their (and their babies’) lives.