Doctors traditionally cut the cord so quickly because of long-held beliefs that placental blood flow could increase birth complications such as neonatal respiratory distress, a type of blood cancer called polycythemia and jaundice from rapid transfusion of a large volume of blood.
In most Western countries, including the United States, the cord is clamped immediately after birth: usually between 10 to 15 seconds after.
In the first few minutes after birth, blood is still circulating from the placenta to the infant. When clamping is put off for two or three minutes, it allows a physiological transfer of oxygen-rich blood to flow into the infant – a process called placental transfusion.
A growing body of research shows that both full-term and preterm infants may benefit from this additional blood volume. Experts say this can affect development, especially for babies born early.
“In recent years, more information has accumulated that showed that even among full-term infants, delaying clamping of the baby’s umbilical cord can be helpful also.”
The World Health Organization recommends that the umbilical cord should be clamped after the first minute. However, in some babies who can’t breathe on their own, the cord should be cut immediately to allow effective ventilation to be performed, it says.
Why do doctors cut the umbilical cord right away?
