Posted on 12/09/2021 9:05:59 PM PST by ConservativeMind
A new study finds that aiming to wait just 60 seconds to clamp the umbilical cord of very premature babies at birth continues to have benefits two years on - decreasing the child's risk of death or major disability.
The new study compared outcomes with caregivers aiming for 60 second delay in clamping and with caregivers aiming for cord clamping before 10 seconds after delivery.
Researchers found that delaying clamping reduces a child's relative risk of death or major disability in early childhood by 17 percent. This included a 30 percent reduction in mortality before the age of two.
In addition, 15 percent fewer infants in the delayed-clamping group needed blood transfusions after birth.
"It's very rare to find an intervention with this sort of impact that is free and requires nothing more sophisticated than a clock.
"Applied consistently worldwide, aiming to wait a minute before cord clamping in very preterm babies who do not require immediate resuscitation could ensure that an extra 50,000 survive without major disability in the next decade," said biostatistician Dr Kristy Robledo from the University of Sydney who led the two-year follow-up analysis.
"In other words, for every 20 very preterm babies who get delayed instead of immediate clamping, one more will survive without major disability."
Why wait?
Delayed umbilical cord clamping is routine in full term babies to allow the newborn time to adapt to life outside the womb, however, until recently, clinicians generally cut the cord of preterm babies immediately so urgent medical care could be given.
"We think that, after delaying cord clamping, babies get extra red and white blood cells and stem cells from the placenta, helping to achieve healthy oxygen levels, control infection and repair injured tissue."
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencedaily.com ...
That really is astonishing. You have to wonder why this wasn’t known before.
Or perhaps it was known and was forgotten?
I had it totally backwards- I thought that was AFTER cutting the cord.
One of my uncles almost died when he was born- he almost bled to death- either they didn’t clamp him right away, or the clamp came off, I don’t remember. Physically, he could do just about anything, but he suffered some brain damage from blood loss. RIP Uncle Sam.
Will the umbilical cease to provide after a time?
Why not wait until that time ?
Actually is true in all mammalian species. There is a significant amount of blood in a placenta that belongs to the newborn. Placenta doesn’t empty immediately. Up to two to five minutes depending on how big the newborn is.
Sometimes assistance turns into interference.
Assistance became interference. Cords can actually break on their own with mild tension. For Mother Nature, that’s how it works.
Babies were being born before doctors and nurses were around to clamp anything. Yes, if something is squirting red, clamp now. But foals, calves, lambs, babies all have umbilical cords. That’s why we are all mammals.
Thanks for the reply. The miracle of birth is truly amazing.
Yes, thanks for the explanation. Truly amazing, indeed.
I never thought about the amount of blood in the placenta that belongs to the newly born.
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