Quaiyum Blood Mat

In many low-income countries such as Bangladesh, the majority of deliveries are performed at home by a traditional birth attendant (TBA). These TBAs may or may not be properly trained in the diagnosis and treatment of post-partum hemorrhage (PPH), which is frequently the leading cause of maternal death.

The Quaiyum Blood Mat is an absorbent mat to be placed under a woman during delivery that can absorb up to 500mL of blood. Blood travels across the mat at a constant velocity, allowing the TBA to visually evaluate blood loss. When the mat is saturated at 500mL, it will start to leak, which signals PPH.

• Designed by: Professor Dr. Md. Abdul Quaiyum, Chairman of the Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Technology at the University of Dhaka in Dhaka, Bangladesh
• Manufacturer location: The device was developed at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research in Bangladesh (ICDDR,B).

Dr. Quaiyum is affiliated with the ICDDR,B in Bangladesh and received a grant from the Gates Grand Challenges competition in 2010.

Prata, N., Quaiyum, M. A., Passano, P., Bell, S., Bohl, D. D., Hossain, S., Begum, M. et al(2012). Training traditional birth attendants to use misoprostol and an absorbent delivery mat in home births. Social Science & Medicine.

Judd, G. (2013). UN secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visits icddr,b. Link available here.

VSI. (2011). Scaling up of Misoprostol for Prevention of Postpartum Hemorrhage in 29 Upazilas of Bangladesh. PDF available here.

Maternova. (2013, January 11). (Quaiyum) Blood Mat. Link available here.