Wait to cut umbilical cord, say researchers

Cutting of babies' umbilical cords should be delayed to allow more vital stem cells and nutrients to flow from their mothers, researchers have claimed. By leaving more time between delivery to clamping and cutting the cord, more blood is transferred to the child and more "gifts" are handed over in "nature's first stem cell transplant", it was claimed. Researchers said that in western culture the umbilical cord may be clamped too soon – usually between 30 seconds and a minute after birth.

But this might prevent valuable umbilical blood being transferred to the infant.

It could also prevent anaemia – one of the most common blood disorders which is caused by a lack of red blood cells.

During childbirth, the placenta and umbilical cord start contracting and pumping blood toward the newborn.

Once the blood has reached an equilibrium, the cord's pulses cease and the blood flow stops.

By obstetricians and midwives delaying the clamping of the cord – or by waiting until the pulses have definitely finished – newborns could benefit fully from the blood transfer, said the team from the University of South Florida.

Dr Paul Sanberg, of the university's Centre of Excellence for Ageing and Brain Repair, said: "Several clinical studies have shown that delaying clamping the umbilical cord not only allows more blood to be transferred but helps prevent anaemia as well.

"Cord blood also contains many valuable stem cells, making this transfer of stem cells a process that might be considered 'the original stem cell transplant'.

"The virtue of the unique and immature features of cord blood, including their ability to differentiate, are well known."

After reviewing the majority of research in the field, Dr Sanberg and his colleagues concluded that delaying cord clamping could reduce the infant's risk of many illnesses, including respiratory distress, chronic lung disease, brain haemorrhages, anaemia, the inflammatory condition sepsis and eye disease. ...

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