Using Sodium Bicarbonate to Reduce Maternal / Fetal Death from Acidosis During Obstructed Labor

Principal Investigator: Dr. Milton Musaba 

Disease: Obstructed Labor

Research Description:

Obstructed labor (OL) poses a serious risk to both mother and infant, potentially resulting in long term complications and in some cases death. OL is particularly high in low and lower-middle income countries, causing over 20% of maternal deaths and 70% of perinatal deaths. If OL is not relieved quickly enough with an emergency caesarean section surgery to deliver the baby, acid levels in the mother’s bloodstream may become dangerously high, leading to fetal acidosis. Preoperative intravenous fluid infusion is the current standard of care for women with OL, but it may not adequately reverse high levels of acid. The research team will repurpose sodium bicarbonate, which is cheap and readily available, to reverse acidosis in OL. Sodium bicarbonate is commonly used as an antacid and has also been used in other conditions where lowering acid levels in bodily fluids is critical. This placebo-controlled, dose-ranging Phase IIA clinical trial (the SoBicOL- II trial) will study the safety and effectiveness of intravenous sodium bicarbonate on maternal and fetal acidosis among women who develop OL in Uganda, in order to determine the optimal dose to reverse acidosis. This could lead to improvements in maternal and perinatal outcomes among women with OL.

Funding Partners: Open Philanthropy

CWR Funding Role: Primary