Delaying umbilical cord cutting reduces risk of bleeding on the brain

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 18 Oct 2004 - 11:00 PDT

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If you wait up to two minutes before cutting the umbilical cord during a premature birth you may be helping reduce the risk of bleeding in the brain of the newborn baby, say scientists.

This study was carried out by researchers from Brighton and Sussex Universities, UK. The researchers looked at studies dealing with a total of 297 babies (seven studies).

Even though about 50% of places in the UK wait for a couple of minutes before cutting the cord, some do it within 15 seconds.

The Cochrane Collaboration has published the findings.

In these studies, blood pressure, red blood cell counts, blood volume, bleeding within the brain and the need for transfusion were measured. The majority of premature babies born before 32 weeks require a blood transfusion.

Preterm babies usually have breathing problems. This means doctors have to get them into special care units quickly, this means the cord is cut quickly.

Currently, there are no guidelines as to when the cord should be cut.

In this study, researchers found that a delay of up to two minutes in the cord cutting significantly reduces the chances of the baby will needing a transfusion. Babies also have a lower risk of becoming anemic, they have better blood pressure as well.

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