Impact on postpartum hemorrhage of prophylactic administration of oxytocin 10?IU via UnijectTM by peripheral health care providers at home births: Design of a community-based cluster-randomized trial

Background Hemorrhage is the leading direct cause of maternal death globally. While oxytocin is the drug of choice for postpartum hemorrhage prevention, its use has generally been limited to health facilities. This trial assesses the effectiveness, safety, and feasibility of expanding the use of prophylactic intramuscular oxytocin to peripheral health care providers at home births in four predominantly rural districts in central Ghana.