FRIDAY, May 15, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Prophylactic tranexamic acid can prevent postpartum hemorrhage in women with placenta previa undergoing cesarean delivery, according to a study published online May 13 in The BMJ.Lizi Zhang, M.D., from The Third Affiliated Hospital in Guangzhou, China, and colleagues conducted a randomized, double-blind phase 3 trial in 24 maternity units across China between July 2023 and March 2025 involving 1,732 women with placenta previa undergoing cesarean delivery. Participants were randomly assigned to receive prophylactic oxytocin and either tranexamic acid (1 g in 10 mL) or placebo (10 mL normal saline) diluted in 40 mL normal saline intravenously over 10 minutes, started within five minutes of clamping the umbilical cord.Primary outcome data were available for 1,691 women. The researchers found that placenta accreta spectrum was diagnosed in 17.9 percent of the participants. The primary outcome of postpartum hemorrhage occurred in 29.7 and 35.1 percent of the tranexamic acid and placebo groups, respectively (relative risk, 0.85). Similar rates of serious adverse events were seen between the groups (0.5 versus 0.5 percent)."Among women with placenta previa who underwent cesarean delivery and received prophylactic oxytocin, treatment with tranexamic acid resulted in a statistically significant yet modest reduction in the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage," the authors write.Abstract/Full TextEditorial.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter