Childbirth

Heavy bleeding after a baby is born. It is one of the most common complications of childbirth. It is also a leading cause of death for mothers worldwide, and most of those deaths happen in low- and...

Condition 2 claims Evidence checked 2026-10-11

Birth before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. The term covers two things: the baby who is born early, and the pregnancy that is likely to end early. WHO writes its advice on steroid injections before...

Condition 0 claims Evidence checked not recorded

Measuring the blood a woman loses after birth with a tool, instead of judging it by eye. WHO recommends doing this for every woman giving birth, and uses measured amounts in its criteria for deciding...

Intervention 2 claims Evidence checked 2026-10-11

A package for hospitals. Staff measure blood loss at vaginal births with a calibrated drape, and when heavy bleeding is detected they start a standard set of treatments straight away. The set covers...

Intervention 2 claims Evidence checked 2026-10-11

A drape used at vaginal birth that collects the blood and carries volume markings, so the amount lost can be measured instead of guessed by eye.

Technology 0 claims Evidence checked 2026-10-11

A suggested order for reading this atlas, from before pregnancy through birth to a baby’s first months. Each step points to one page and says in plain words what that page covers. It is a reading...

Reading path Evidence checked not recorded

Heavy bleeding after birth is often missed or noticed late when blood loss is judged by eye, which is frequently inaccurate. The response WHO now recommends is to measure blood loss objectively and...

Bottleneck 1 claim Evidence checked 2026-10-11