Benefits of Delayed Cord Clamping
Updated: Jan 10, 2022
We often hear about the “spiral of interventions” nowadays and usually picture, the artificial start up of labor via synthetic oxytocin (pictocin), the intense pain that it brings upon the laboring mom, she then gets and epidural to cope, and often times the ultimate intervention is used “save” baby whose heart is decelerating because it could not handle the intensity of the augmented labor. What if I told you Premature/Early Cord Clamping was on of the oldest and most wide spread “intervention” that became common practice when birth moved from home to the hospital, way back when.
The practice of premature cord clamping, was never based on any specific study findings or clear evidence of benefits. However, it did became known as a “preventive measure” by many medical birth attendants in what they have believed to help avoid jaundice in newborns. They claimed that the added red blood cells would break down and cause so much bilirubin that the baby would develop jaundice. A study here shows, though bilirubin levels were recorded higher when the cord was left intact they did not reach clinical jaundice levels. Many physicians who study in the medical model of care, up until recently have been trained to “catch” baby and hold them in one hand and clamp and cut the umbilical cord immediately with the other.
In more recent years expectant parents have been doing their own research on the benefits of leaving the cord intact and personally requesting that it remain uncut until the cord is done pulsating. Many were unaware that one third of the newly born baby’s blood was in the placenta and transfers usually within the first five minutes of life. Studies have shown us that at two minutes after birth about seventy percent of the placental blood will have transferred to baby and if we leave the cord alone until it is done pulsating, the placenta has the opportunity to complete the transfer of all its blood.
Penny Simkin explains (right) the effortless process that can naturally occur between the fetal placental unit if the cord is left intact.
As Penny mentions in the video it is very important to know that ALL the blood does belong to the newly born baby and because the baby is benefiting from the oxygenated blood that is returning from the placenta there is in fact more time for resuscitation in scenarios requiring this treatment.
Delayed umbilical cord clamping for the healthy term newborn and even in premature babies is now recommended by ACOG as of December 2016, while ACOG states there is “a small increase in the incidence of jaundice that requires phototherapy in term infants undergoing delayed umbilical cord clamping.” Other studies like Huttons (linked above) tells us it can be unrelated.
ACOG also says: “Delayed umbilical cord clamping appears to be beneficial for term and preterm infants. In term infants, delayed umbilical cord clamping increases hemoglobin levels at birth and improves iron stores in the first several months of life, which may have a favorable effect on developmental outcomes. There is a small increase in jaundice that requires phototherapy in this group of infants. Consequently, health care providers adopting delayed umbilical cord clamping in term infants should ensure that mechanisms are in place to monitor for and treat neonatal jaundice. In preterm infants, delayed umbilical cord clamping is associated with significant neonatal benefits, including improved transitional circulation, better establishment of red blood cell volume, decreased need for blood transfusion, and lower incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis and intraventricular hemorrhage. Delayed umbilical cord clamping was not associated with an increased risk of postpartum hemorrhage or increased blood loss at delivery, nor was it associated with a difference in postpartum hemoglobin levels or the need for blood transfusion. Given the benefits to most newborns and concordant with other professional organizations, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists now recommends a delay in umbilical cord clamping in vigorous term and preterm infants for at least 30–60 seconds after birth.”
Remember your while your care provider is entitled to their opinion they are not entitled to their own facts regarding your care. If you have specific concerns about keeping your cord intact, allowing all baby's blood to transfer properly, I encourage you to present this document to your care provider that is endorsed by The American Academy of Obstetrics and Gynecology, American Academy of Pediatrics and The American College of Nurse–Midwives.
As always...Blessings on your journey,
Sara Avalos
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