to compare blood loss in women actively and expectantly managed in the third stage of labour.
randomised controlled trial (RCT).
two delivery units at a Swedish university hospital.
healthy women with normal pregnancies, at gestational age 34-43 weeks, with singleton cephalic presentation and expected vaginal delivery.
the women were randomly allocated to either active (n = 903) or expectant (n = 899) management of the third stage of labour.
the primary outcome was blood loss > 1000 ml, and secondary outcomes were mean blood loss, duration of third stage, retained placenta, haemoglobin level and blood transfusion.
blood loss > 1000 ml occurred in 10% of the actively managed group and 16.8% of the expectantly managed group (P