Prospective randomized trial of oxytocin administration for active management of the third stage of labor.

Objective: To determine the most efficient route and timing of oxytocin administration for active management of the third stage of labor.

Methods: A prospective randomized study was done at one center in Ankara, Turkey, between January and October 2010. Women with a singleton pregnancy (>37 weeks) who had a live vaginal birth were randomly allocated to four groups: iv-A (intravenous oxytocin after delivery of the fetus), iv-B (when anterior shoulder seen), im-A (intramuscular oxytocin after delivery), and im-B (when anterior shoulder seen).