The practice of delaying cutting the umbilical cord of a newborn baby has been highly debated within the birth community. Over time calmer babies and better transitions from womb to world has lead midwives, doulas and mothers speculating the importance of delayed cord clamping for years. These direct affects have even lead some moms to partake in what is called a lotus birth during which after the baby is born he or she remains attached to the umbilical cord and placenta until the cord falls off naturally.
While lotus births still may be heavily debated, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has recently created new recommendations in favor of delayed umbilical cord clamping. It is now recommending that doctors and midwives hold off on cutting the umbilical cord of a healthy newborn for a minimum of 30 to 60 seconds.
The umbilical cord serves a vital job for the baby while in the womb, but, its benefits don’t stop immediately after birth. Even after the baby has arrived the umbilical cord continues to deliver blood, vitamins, and nutrients from the placenta to the baby. Delaying the clamping of the cord sometimes results in an increase in the infant’s blood volume by up to a third.
“There is growing evidence from a number of studies that all infants, those born at term and those born early, benefit from receiving extra blood from the placenta at birth,” said neonatologist Dr. Heike Rabe in his editorial published by JAMA Pediatrics.
The extra blood from the umbilical cord makes the transition of oxygen into the blood much easier. In turn, the smooth transition helps ease the infant from life in the womb to the outside world.
While it may not seem like much time, this is a big improvement from the immediate cord clamping which we have been doing for decades. Waiting just 30 seconds to a minute can do wonders for babies. Studies have shown that delaying cord clamping has been linked to long term neurological-development benefits and improved Iron levels. For preterm babies, the benefits are even bigger, delaying cord cutting can decreases the risk of brain hemorrhage by half.
Benefits of delayed cord clamping though are not exclusive to the moments right after birth. When comparing children whose cords were cut 10 seconds after birth to those who were cut three minutes after birth, the children who were attached to the cord had slightly higher social and find motor skills.
Delayed cord clamping is just the tip of the ice berg when it comes to controversial, but positive steps one can take right after an infant’s birth. Hopefully we continue expanding our knowledge of those crucial first moments to continue finding ways to make birth safer and easier for mothers and babies.
