Waiting To Clamp The Umbilical Cord Is Better For Babies.

New research just spewed about the web this week discussing what many midwives and some MDs have been saying for...
New research just spewed about the web this week discussing what many midwives and some MDs have been saying for years and years - it's safer to wait to clamp and cut the umbilical cord at birth. It actually astonishes me that this is considered news but here goes... Researchers at the University of South Florida’s Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair are telling folks that baby umbilical cord clamping should be delayed for at least a minute and up until the cord stops pulsating after birth. According to USF researchers, delayed cord clamping will allow more umbilical cord blood along with the crucial stem cells said cord blood carries to transfer from mama to baby. This isn't current news IMO. Cord clamping early hasn't been around that long. In the 1930s someone decided it would be a good plan - various theories about why to clamp the cord early over the years have included reduced incidents of jaundice and less bleeding for mamas - both with little evidence to back it up. Lately, it's become more of a Western medicine deal with health care providers being scared of malpractice if they don't clamp and cut the cord early on. Multiple studies and books over dozens of years, including practically every midwife and natural birth text I've ever read, have mentioned the benefits of delayed cord clamping/cutting. In fact, Midwifery Today Issue 59 lists multiple studies reaching as far back as the 1960s which point to delayed cord cutting as beneficial for babies. This is simply one of those medical practices that caught on and is now considered normal when there's simply no clear reasoning behind it. Benefits of delayed cord cutting include...
  • Stem cells which have many therapeutic properties are transferred to the baby.
  • Protection for babies who suffer birth trauma or asphyxiation at birth.
  • Reduced risk of brain hemorrhage, chronic lung disease, anemia, respiratory distress and eye disease.
  • Baby will receive important clotting factors.
Do you have to clamp early? No. This is mainly a parent choice. While an emergency birth may include early cord clamping in order to transport either you or your baby elsewhere, in a typical birth you have a choice. You can include late cord clamping in your birth plan and let your midwife or doctor and your doula know about your wishes.

Tags: baby stem cells clamping umbilical cord cutting the cord early hospital interventions stem cells umbilical cord wait to cut umbilical cord waiting to cut the cord

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