The effect of post-partum IUD insertion on post-partum bleeding

Post-partum bleeding was measured for 72 hours in 66 volunteer healthy women after normal pregnancy and delivery at term. After complete placenta expulsion, a 220C Copper T was placed by the attending physician in 33 volunteer subjects before leaving the delivery room. Similar number of volunteer subjects served as a control. Post-partum bleeding during the 72 hours of study was 134.7 +/- 16.3 ml for the IUD group and 155.9 +/- 16.0 ml for the control group. No differences were detected among the two groups. Hemoglobin levels were the same for both groups, being at 72 hours after delivery, 11.9 +/- 0.28 gm/ml for the IUD group and 12.2 +/- 0.36 for controls. None of the women with immediate post-partum IUD insertion had any changes in the normal characteristics of their post-partum period.