A short delay in clamping umbilical cord for all healthy infants after birth can bring numerous benefits to most newborns, American obstetricians recommended on Wednesday.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) suggests that waiting "at least 30 to 60 seconds after birth" to cut the cord gives newborns a surge of oxygen-rich blood.

"While there are various recommendations regarding optimal timing for delayed umbilical cord clamping, there has been increased evidence that shows that the practice in and of itself has clear health benefits for both preterm and term infants," said Maria A. Mascola, MD, the lead author of the guidelines.

In preterm infants, delayed umbilical cord clamping is associated with significant neonatal benefits, including improved transitional circulation, better establishment of red blood cell volume and decreased need for blood transfusion, ACOG said.

It also lowers the incidence of brain hemorrhage and a certain type of intestinal disease, ACOG added.

For term infants, it increases hemoglobin levels at birth and improves iron stores for several months, which helps prevent iron deficiency during the first year of life, ACOG said. Iron deficiency has been linked to impaired cognitive, motor and behavioral development.

In the womb, the placenta acts as the fetus' lungs. But within seconds of birth, the circulation changes as the baby takes his or her first breath to inflate the lungs which once were filled with fluid. Thus if the cord was cut too soon, the baby would miss extra oxygen to supplement those early breaths.

In addition, research does not show that delayed cord clamping increases the risk of maternal hemorrhage, said ACOG.

But the practice will significantly decreases the yield of cord blood, making it less likely to meet cord blood donation or banking criteria, ACOG added. Patients and families who are considering umbilical cord blood banking should be counseled accordingly.

source: Xinhua