Saving Preemies: The Power of Delayed Cord Clamping
Originally Published 2 years ago — by The New York Times
Delayed cord clamping, waiting at least two minutes after birth to clamp the umbilical cord, significantly improves in-hospital survival rates for premature infants, according to new research. This intervention allows umbilical cord blood, rich in iron, stem cells, and antibodies, to flow back to the baby. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists already recommends delaying clamping by 30 to 60 seconds for both full-term and preterm newborns. The new research, published in The Lancet, analyzed studies involving thousands of babies and found that delayed cord clamping reduced in-hospital deaths of preterm newborns by one-third compared to immediate cord clamping. Implementing this low-cost intervention has the potential to save many lives, especially considering the high rates of preterm births worldwide. However, implementing a change in guidelines may be complicated, particularly for cesarean section births that require resuscitation.