Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-1-2019

Abstract

The World Health Organization recommends delaying cord clamping for at least 30-60 seconds after the birth of a full-term newborn. However, the recommendation on the time of cord clamping is not as clear with preterm infants or infants who need immediate resuscitation. The purpose of this study was to examine the best, most recent evidence regarding the timing of cord clamping. The methodology was a literature review. Recent research has focused on umbilical cord milking prior to cord clamping. Umbilical cord milking is described as “the unclamped umbilical cord is grasped and blood is pushed toward the infant several times before it is clamped to auto-infuse blood into the preterm neonate,” (Katheria et al, 2015, p. 62). This technique has been shown to have numerous benefits in preterm infants, including decreased rates of intraventricular hemorrhage, higher levels of hemoglobin/hematocrit, decreased risk of oxygenation at 36 weeks, and higher rates of systemic blood flow. Umbilical cord milking is a way to ensure more blood volume reaches the neonate at a time where delayed cord clamping is not an option.

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