Benefits Seen in Clamping the Cord Later

ssheng

Registered User
Thought some of you who were expecting might find this interesting. I can honestly say I have no idea how long before the clamp was put on...I was definitely in a haze! :)

From the NYT:

Childbirth: Benefits Seen in Clamping the Cord Later
By NICHOLAS BAKALAR
Published: November 28, 2011

Waiting three minutes or longer before clamping a newborn?s umbilical cord reduces the prevalence of iron deficiency at four months, a large trial has found.

Swedish researchers studied 334 infants, randomly assigning half to have their cords clamped within 10 seconds of birth and the rest to clamping after three minutes or longer. The two groups were statistically identical in gestational age, head circumference, health and age of the mother, and other characteristics.

In blood tests at two days after birth, there were no significant differences in iron status. But when researchers analyzed blood taken at four months, they found iron concentrations were 45 percent higher in the delayed clamping group, and iron deficiency was significantly more prevalent in those who were clamped early.

Dr. Ola Andersson, the lead author and a pediatrician at the Hospital of Halland in Halmstad, Sweden, pointed out that there were no adverse effects to delayed clamping.

?Many obstetricians worry about jaundice, and most believe that delayed clamping causes it,? he said. But he and his colleagues found no difference in rates of jaundice.

The study, published this month in the journal BMJ, is one of the largest randomized trials of delayed cord clamping and the first to assess iron status beyond the neonatal period in a high-income country.
 
Great article.

In non-emergency situations, caregivers should at the very least wait until the cord stops pulsating before clamping and cutting it. Otherwise the newborn baby is deprived of a significant portion of his blood supply, which would otherwise remain in the cord/placenta.

Why the rush? Imagine losing a third of your blood for no good reason..
 
The practice at the public hospital I gave birth at in HK is to get that cord clamped and cut immediately. We requested it not be clamped and cut and they looked at us like we were from another planet and when it came down to it they refused to wait. Our situation was non-emergency. Baby was pink and rosy and crying her head off. I had absolutely no meds whatsoever and had delivered spontaneously and vaginally. But, I think the docs here treat everything like a potential hazardous situation. My husband even told them to back off and leave the cord alone and they just kept saying, "it's so dangerous for the baby!" Just playing the "it's so dangerous" card.... Anyway...yes, I think a lot of midwives have known for awhile that leaving the cord unclamped has huge benefits for the baby.
 
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