March 30, 2007 – Waiting at least two minutes after birth before cutting the umbilical cord would benefit the health of the newborn during the first months of life.
Two researchers from McMaster University in Ontario come to this conclusion after analyzing data from several studies on the subject. Their results were recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)1.
Waiting two minutes before pinching and cutting the umbilical cord will promote more circulation of cord blood and placenta to the baby. Canadian researchers have noted several benefits of delaying the time to cut the cord. The baby would then have a higher concentration of iron in his blood and he would have a 47% lower risk of developing anemia in the next three months. The risk of developing polycythemia (excess red blood cells in the blood) would however be greater in these babies, but it would be asymptomatic.
In Western countries, the umbilical cord is cut just seconds after the baby is born. It is feared that too much blood in the newborn may increase the risk of respiratory distress, jaundice and polycythemia.
It is a practice of midwives not to cut the umbilical cord until it stops beating. “It is an effective way to fight anemia in newborns, especially as anemia has a direct consequence on the development of the brain”, supports midwife Isabelle Brabant. She recalls that anemia at birth is not only common in developing countries, but that it is also ubiquitous in disadvantaged Western communities.
“We are delighted that science can thus justify greater respect for physiology,” underlines Céline Lemay, president of the Regroupement Les mid-femmes du Québec.
Andrée-Anne Guénette – PasseportSanté.net
According to Canadian Press.
1. Hutton EK, Hassan ES, Late vs early clamping of the umbilical cord in full-term neonates: systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials, JAMA, Vol 297, No. 11 1241-1252.
