Umbilical Cord Clamping That's Delayed Helps Premature Infants

New findings published in the Journal of Perinatology reveal that delayed clamping of the umbilical cord of at least 20 seconds may be beneficial for premature infants.

As clamping and cutting of the cord typically takes place within 10 seconds following birth, new research from the Nationwide Children's Hospital found that waiting 30 to 45 seconds to clamp could have advantages, particularly for children who are preterm.

In this recent study, researchers collected information from 40 infants born between a gestational period of 22 and 27 weeks, with the average birth weight of the babies studied coming in at 1.4 pounds. (A baby is not considered full term until 39 weeks.)

The findings revealed that preterm infants with delayed cord clamping had higher blood pressure in the first 24 hours of life. Furthermore, they also needed fewer red blood cell transfusions in their first 28 days when compared to counterparts whose umbilical cords were immediately clamped.

Researchers noted that the delay helps allow for an increased blood volume in the baby, likely improving pulmonary blood flow that works to stabilize blood pressure.

The study results touch on previous findings that support how infants whose umbilical cords were clamped two minutes following birth needed fewer red blood cell transfusions than those whose cords were clamped within 10 seconds.

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