You’ve been waiting for 9 whole months for this day — your little one is finally here! As you lie exhausted but unbelievably happy, your partner quickly snips your newborn’s umbilical cord.
It’s a moment you both will never forget. Indeed, to many parents, the cutting of the umbilical cord brings with it so many emotions.
Cutting a baby’s umbilical cord seconds after birth is routinely practised by doctors worldwide as it is believed to lower the risk of severe bleeding in the mother.
But what if you found out that cutting and clamping your baby’s umbilical cord immediately after he is born may not be the best thing for your little one?
This is where the topic of delayed cord clamping comes in.
Delayed Clamping of Umbilical Cord
Image source: iStock
Some medical experts say that waiting for at least 2 minutes before clamping and cutting a newborn’s umbilical cord has a host of benefits for the baby.
To bring you more information on this topic, we interviewed Angelyn Seet, an experienced childbirth educator who is also the Director of ParentLink in Singapore.
Ms Seet shares her expert opinion on delayed clamping with us in this article.
Q: What is delayed cord clamping?
A: Delayed cord clamping usually refers to waiting for the umbilical cord to cease pulsation before clamping and cutting.
Q: What are the benefits?
A: Your baby will receive all the blood, stem cells and oxygen contained in the cord blood and placenta, which will continue flowing to your baby as cord blood for as long as the cord pulsates. This reduces the risk of anaemia in the baby.
Research has also shown that delayed cord clamping is linked to higher birth weight and is safe, as it does not have any impact on the rate of deaths in newborns.
A study published in the The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews confirms that delaying cord clamping by at least a minute gives more time for blood to move from the placenta.
It is also reported to help boost iron stores and haemoglobin levels in newborns, without increasing the risks to mothers.
Q: Are there any risks (to baby or mum) with delayed cord clamping?
A: Some parents are concerned with an increased risk for jaundice but this is a myth.
Studies have shown that there is no relation between jaundice and the time the cord is clamped. In these studies, the bilirubin levels (excessive bilirubin levels are linked with jaundice) were within normal range, regardless of the time the cord was clamped.
Additionally, the baby may need resuscitation. And there could be a birth abnormality or complication that needs immediate medical attention. This will lead to deciding on an immediate cutting and clamping of the umbilical cord.
If there is an evident separation of the placenta from the uterus or it was not functioning well to begin with, there is not really any reason to delay cord clamping.
Q: Can I still go through with cord blood banking if I choose delayed cord clamping?
A: Usually, this is not very feasible as it is dependent on the medical personnel harvesting the cord blood. Sometimes, there won’t be enough stem cells in the cord blood [due to] delayed cord clamping.
I have seen a few couples select the option of giving half the cord blood to the cord blood bank and a half to the baby, but there is no accurate way to do this. Most times, the doctor might delay clamping for 1-2 minutes before clamping and cutting the cord.
However, we have seen that some cords are able to pulsate for long periods, like 10 minutes after birth. But this is different for every baby and every mother.
Why are stem cells so important?
Q: Should I opt for delayed cord clamping, for how long will the umbilical cord stay attached to my baby before it is cut?
A: With delayed cord clamping, usually the cord will be cut about 5 minutes after birth, as the cord has usually ceased pulsation by that time.
Q: Is delayed cord clamping popular in Singapore? Can I request my gynae to do this?
A: This is dependent on whether the parents are choosing cord blood collection. If not, then, yes it is very popular – especially among the couples at ParentLink – to request delayed cord clamping for maximum benefits to the baby.
Q: What is better for the baby — banking cord blood or delayed cord clamping — and why?
A: This is a decision for the parents. We present the pros and cons of both options and let them decide.
There is no right way to do this. This is their baby and we encourage all our couples to decide what they feel is best for their baby and for them.
Alternatively, there was 1 couple so far who banked the umbilical cord itself as it has been shown to contain a great amount of stem cells as well.
So, that might be an option for parents who want the best of both worlds — less anaemia for the baby (from delayed cord clamping and cutting) and stem cell banking.
There are also couples who choose to donate to the public cord blood bank. Many lives have been saved using the public bank of stem cells in Singapore.
Image source: Stock
After our expert answered some of the common questions parents have about delayed cord clamping, let’s discuss some of the concerns surrounding this method.
Does Delayed Cord Clamping Cause Jaundice
There are probable downsides or disadvantages to delayed cord clamping. One is the increased risk of jaundice.
How does it happen? The extra red blood cells that your baby receives from delayed cord clamping is broken down in the circulation. In addition, bilirubin is released.
This high level of bilirubin in your baby is not good for the infant. Higher levels of bilirubin have a possibility to cause jaundice, which is a result of delaying cord clamp.
However, jaundice in a newborn can be treated with phototherapy (special light treatment), and it rarely leads to serious conditions. But, if this occurs, your baby will need more evaluation and treatment.
Always consult your doctor and paediatrician about the other possibilities of jaundice.
Delayed Cord Clamping and Autism
Current rates of autism disorders are approximately 3 to 4 times higher than 30 years ago, according to bmj.com‘s review. This significant increase is partly accounted for by changes in the approach factors. But the influence of new environmental exposures cannot be discounted.
The correlation between autism and birth complications is credited to other studies. From a reviewed research, they report a great increase in the risk of autism in cesarean deliveries, deliveries with foetal distress, and five-minute APGAR scores below seven. These birth situations correlate with immediate cord clamping, the opposite of delayed cord clamping.
If you would like to know more about delayed cord clamping and would like to consider including it in your birth plan, do not hesitate to consult your gynaecologist about it.
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