Maternal and child health: postpartum sterilisation timing: practice question

A PSM question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

Try it

PSM · Maternal and child health: postpartum sterilisation timing

Sample item

A multipara delivers normally in a district hospital on day 0 and asks for female sterilisation before going home. Under the Indian standards for sterilisation services, within what period can postpartum tubal ligation by minilaparotomy be done?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. Within 7 days of delivery

Indian standards allow postpartum sterilisation within 7 days of delivery; if this window is missed, it is done as an interval procedure after 6 weeks. The uterine fundus is still high in the abdomen in the early puerperium, which makes minilaparotomy easy.

Option by option

  • A. After 3 months of delivery

    Waiting 3 months is longer than needed for an interval procedure.

  • B. Between 2 and 6 weeks after delivery

    Between 2 and 6 weeks the uterus is involuting and the procedure is not recommended; the interval procedure begins only after 6 weeks.

  • C. Within 7 days of delivery (correct)

    Correct. The postpartum window is up to 7 days after delivery.

  • D. Within 24 hours only

    A 24-hour limit is stricter than the standard and would exclude many eligible women.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More PSM questions

Questions about this PSM question

What is the answer to this PSM question?

The best answer is C, Within 7 days of delivery. Indian standards allow postpartum sterilisation within 7 days of delivery; if this window is missed, it is done as an interval procedure after 6 weeks.

Why is "After 3 months of delivery" not the answer?

Waiting 3 months is longer than needed for an interval procedure.

Why is "Between 2 and 6 weeks after delivery" not the answer?

Between 2 and 6 weeks the uterus is involuting and the procedure is not recommended; the interval procedure begins only after 6 weeks.

Why is "Within 24 hours only" not the answer?

A 24-hour limit is stricter than the standard and would exclude many eligible women.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Maternal and child health: postpartum sterilisation timing in PSM. The uterine fundus is still high in the abdomen in the early puerperium, which makes minilaparotomy easy.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Maternal and child health: postpartum sterilisation timing?

Practise biostatistics with small calculations until sensitivity, predictive values and risk measures are automatic. Then use the flashcards and the other PSM questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.