The third stage of labor: a study of outcomes in the second trimester of pregnancy.

Objective: To evaluate the length of the third stage of labor in second trimester pregnancies, to determine the rate of complications such as hemorrhage or infection, and to determine the ideal timing for delivery of the placenta in these pregnancies.

Study Design: A review of 121 consecutive vaginal deliveries between 16 and 27 gestational weeks was performed. Length of the third stage of labor was determined, as well as the composite endpoint of need for manual or instrumented removal of the placenta, or development of chorioamnionitis or endometritis.