Posted by
Pat Sonnenstuhl on Apr 16, 2013 in
Topics of Interest to Pregnant Families |
Comments Off on Why a newborn baby’s cord should not be cut too soon
Most expectant mothers are too concerned about a safe delivery to worry about precisely when the umbilical cord should be cut afterwards. But at a conference this week at Birmingham University, doctors and midwives will argue that timing of the procedure is vital – and that a delay in cutting the cord is safer for the baby.
At present, NHS guidelines advise that in the third stage of labour (after the birth) the cord should be clamped and cut as quickly as possible, unless a mother specifically requests otherwise. Drugs such as oxytocin, considered harmful to the baby, can then be given to the mother to speed up delivery of the placenta and reduce the risk of haemorrhage. Early cord-clamping also means the midwife can take the baby away to clear the airway and ensure the baby is breathing easily; and it is also thought to reduce the risk of jaundice.
But clinicians at the conference will argue that delayed cord-clamping – waiting at least 30 seconds, and preferably longer, before the cord is cut – can protect babies from iron deficiency and, potentially, irreversible developmental delay. In the first minutes after birth, as it starts to breathe on its own, a newborn can receive a substantial blood transfusion from the placenta – as much as a 32 per cent increase in blood volume – with iron levels benefiting as a result.
