Administration Of Calcium Gluconate for The Reduction of Blood Loss During Vaginal Delivery

July 14, 2026 updated by: Rambam Health Care Campus

Administration of Calcium Gluconate for the Reduction of Blood Loss During Vaginal Delivery: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Postpartum hemorrhage is one of the leading causes of maternal morbidity following childbirth. Even when excessive bleeding is not clinically recognized, some women experience a significant decrease in hemoglobin levels after delivery, which may result in anemia, fatigue, delayed recovery, and the need for additional medical treatment.

Calcium plays an important role in uterine muscle contraction and blood clotting. Previous studies have suggested that calcium administration may help reduce blood loss after childbirth. However, there is limited evidence regarding its effectiveness during vaginal delivery.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether administration of intravenous calcium gluconate immediately after umbilical cord clamping can reduce postpartum blood loss following vaginal delivery.

Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either calcium gluconate or a placebo solution immediately after umbilical cord clamping during vaginal delivery. Neither the participants nor their healthcare providers will know which treatment was administered. Blood tests routinely obtained during hospitalization after delivery will be used to assess changes in hemoglobin levels and other outcomes related to postpartum bleeding.

The results of this study may help determine whether calcium gluconate is a safe and effective intervention for reducing postpartum blood loss after vaginal delivery.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) remains a major cause of maternal morbidity worldwide. In addition to clinically recognized PPH, a substantial proportion of women experience significant postpartum hemoglobin decline without overt signs of excessive bleeding. Such blood loss may contribute to postpartum anemia, fatigue, delayed recovery, and increased healthcare utilization.

Calcium plays a critical role in both uterine muscle contraction and the coagulation cascade. Transient reductions in serum calcium concentrations have been observed during labor and immediately after delivery. It has been hypothesized that calcium supplementation during the third stage of labor may enhance uterine contractility and reduce postpartum blood loss.

The objective of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial is to evaluate whether intravenous calcium gluconate administered immediately after umbilical cord clamping reduces postpartum blood loss following vaginal delivery.

Eligible participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either 10 mL of 10% calcium gluconate diluted in 100 mL of normal saline or 110 mL of normal saline placebo administered intravenously immediately after umbilical cord clamping. Participants, healthcare providers, and outcome assessors will remain blinded to treatment allocation.

The co-primary outcomes are: (1) the proportion of participants experiencing a hemoglobin decrease of at least 2 g/dL from the pre-delivery value to the lowest postpartum hemoglobin value recorded during hospitalization, and (2) the mean change in hemoglobin level from the pre-delivery value to the lowest postpartum hemoglobin value recorded during hospitalization.

Secondary outcomes include clinically diagnosed postpartum hemorrhage, need for additional uterotonic medications, blood transfusion, intravenous iron administration, length of hospital stay, and composite maternal morbidity outcomes.

The findings of this study may provide evidence regarding the effectiveness and safety of calcium gluconate as a simple and inexpensive intervention for reducing postpartum blood loss after vaginal delivery.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
710

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Israel
      • Haifa, Israel, 6815408
        • Recruiting
        • Rambam Medical Center
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Gili Buchnik Fater, MD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Gestational age of 37 weeks or more, and planning a vaginal delivery.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Age younger than 18 years old.
  • Patients treated with calcium channel blockers
  • Patients with Preeclampsia with severe features receiving magnesium sulfate infusion.
  • Chronic renal failure and hyperphosphatemia
  • Patients with known Para-Thyroid disease
  • Sarcoidosis

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Calcium Gluconate
Participants will receive 10 mL of 10% calcium gluconate solution (0.94 g calcium gluconate) diluted in 100 mL normal saline administered intravenously immediately following umbilical cord clamping during the third stage of labor.
Drug: calcium gluconate
10 mL of 10% calcium gluconate solution (0.94 g calcium gluconate) diluted in 100 mL of normal saline and administered intravenously immediately following umbilical cord clamping during the third stage of labor.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo (Normal Saline)
Participants will receive 110 mL of 0.9% normal saline administered intravenously immediately following umbilical cord clamping during the third stage of labor.
Drug: Normal saline placebo
110 mL of 0.9% normal saline administered intravenously immediately following umbilical cord clamping during the third stage of labor

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Proportion of Participants With a Hemoglobin Decrease of ≥2 g/dL
Time Frame: From pre-delivery baseline to 24-48 hours postpartum. If additional Hb measurements are obtained later during hospitalization and demonstrate a further decline, the lowest hemoglobin value recorded during the hospitalization will be used for analysis.
Proportion of participants with a decrease of at least 2 g/dL in hemoglobin concentration from the pre-delivery value to the lowest postpartum hemoglobin value recorded during hospitalization. Hemoglobin levels will be routinely measured 24-48 hours after vaginal delivery; if additional hemoglobin measurements are obtained later during hospitalization, the lowest recorded value will be used for analysis.
From pre-delivery baseline to 24-48 hours postpartum. If additional Hb measurements are obtained later during hospitalization and demonstrate a further decline, the lowest hemoglobin value recorded during the hospitalization will be used for analysis.
Mean Change in Hemoglobin Level
Time Frame: From pre-delivery baseline to 24-48 hours postpartum. If additional Hb measurements are obtained later during hospitalization and demonstrate a further decline, the lowest hemoglobin value recorded during the hospitalization will be used for analysis.
Proportion of participants with a decrease of at least 2 g/dL in hemoglobin concentration from the pre-delivery value to the lowest postpartum hemoglobin value recorded during hospitalization. Hemoglobin levels will be routinely measured 24-48 hours after vaginal delivery; if additional hemoglobin measurements are obtained later during hospitalization, the lowest recorded value will be used for analysis.
From pre-delivery baseline to 24-48 hours postpartum. If additional Hb measurements are obtained later during hospitalization and demonstrate a further decline, the lowest hemoglobin value recorded during the hospitalization will be used for analysis.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Clinically Diagnosed Postpartum Hemorrhage
Time Frame: From delivery until hospital discharge, assessed up to 4 days postpartum
Proportion of participants with clinically diagnosed postpartum hemorrhage following vaginal delivery
From delivery until hospital discharge, assessed up to 4 days postpartum
Need for Additional Treatment for Postpartum Hemorrhage
Time Frame: From delivery through 24 hours postpartum
Proportion of participants requiring additional medical or procedural treatment for management of PPH
From delivery through 24 hours postpartum
Receipt of Blood Products
Time Frame: Proportion of participants receiving blood products during the first 3 days postpartum.
Proportion of participants receiving blood products during postpartum hospitalization
Proportion of participants receiving blood products during the first 3 days postpartum.
Intravenous Iron Administration
Time Frame: From delivery through postpartum Day 3.
Proportion of participants treated with intravenous iron during postpartum hospitalization
From delivery through postpartum Day 3.
Length of Hospital Stay
Time Frame: From delivery to hospital discharge. Most participants are discharged within 36-48 hours postpartum; however, follow-up continues until hospital discharge for participants with prolonged hospitalization due to maternal complications.
Duration of postpartum hospitalization after vaginal delivery.
From delivery to hospital discharge. Most participants are discharged within 36-48 hours postpartum; however, follow-up continues until hospital discharge for participants with prolonged hospitalization due to maternal complications.
Composite Adverse Maternal Outcome
Time Frame: From delivery to hospital discharge. Most participants are discharged within 36-48 hours; participants with prolonged hospitalization will be followed until discharge (up to 30 days postpartum)
Proportion of participants experiencing at least one of the following adverse maternal outcomes: intensive care unit admission, surgical treatment for uncontrolled postpartum hemorrhage, massive blood transfusion, disseminated intravascular coagulation, or maternal death.
From delivery to hospital discharge. Most participants are discharged within 36-48 hours; participants with prolonged hospitalization will be followed until discharge (up to 30 days postpartum)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Rambam Health Care Campus

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 24, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
October 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 3, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 14, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 20, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 20, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 14, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 0495-25-RMB

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

IPD Plan Description

The investigators have not yet determined whether de-identified individual participant data will be shared. Any future data sharing will be considered in accordance with institutional policies, ethical approvals, and participant privacy protections.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Postpartum Hemorrhage

Clinical Trials on calcium gluconate

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings