03/06/2022
Posted • New research has added to our knowledge that it is better to wait for a while after a baby is born before clamping and cutting the umbilical cord.
We now know that it is safe to wait six minutes after birth, even when an oxytocic drug is given.
Waiting, which is sometimes called optimal or delayed cord clamping, means that the baby has the chance to get all the blood that they need from the placenta before the supply is cut.
We have known for many years that it is better to wait than to interfere, but it is taking a while for things to change in some areas.
This is because, in recent decades, there has been a tendency to interfere with birth.
But a new research study further confirms that there are advantages to waiting.
Winkler et al (2022) carried out a study in Sweden in which they compared the outcomes of 904 mother/baby pairs whose cords were clamped and cut at different times after birth.
These were the key findings:
Research shows that it is safe to wait six minutes before clamping the cord.
(It may be safe to wait longer, and many women choose to do so. But a study can only report what it researched, and six minutes was the average time in this study.)
Waiting longer doesn't increase the chance of phototherapy being needed (for jaundice).
It doesn't matter whether oxytocin is given before or after cord clamping.
I have blogged about this study at https://www.sarawickham.com/research-updates/delaying-cord-clamping/
Winkler et al (2022). Cord clamping beyond 3 minutes: Neonatal short-term outcomes and maternal postpartum hemorrhage. Birth https://doi.org/10.1111/birt.12645
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