# Why delay cor clamping?



## mom2p.m. (Aug 17, 2007)

Okay I know it is benifical, but I don't know why. So what are the benifits of delayed cord clamping?


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## ChetMC (Aug 27, 2005)

I've been wondering about this as well. And also, what are the arguments for clamping so quickly. If I ask to delay the clamping should I be prepared for a scary lecture from somebody?


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## belltree (Mar 10, 2009)

There is an unproven theory out there, that delayed clamping can increase the baby's risk of jaundice. Also if the mother is hemorrhaging, earlier clamping can be important.

If you delay clamping you cannot donate/store cord blood.

Waiting longer will let your baby get all the good stuff (T-cells, more blood etc).

We plan on not cutting the cord at all. Babies often feel the cutting, gasp for air or even cry when they are cut, plus the cord stump heals much fast on average.


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## Carliegirl (Jul 26, 2005)

Yeah...the big thing I've heard is that all that good blood in the cord, baby's only source of nourishment in the womb needs to be in the baby and cutting it while the cord is still full and pulsing sells a babe short and gives them less nourishment of various kinds.


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## chai (Mar 6, 2005)

Here's a decent article:
http://bellybelly.com.au/articles/bi...-cord-clamping


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## MamaMonica (Sep 22, 2002)

Moved to Birth and Beyond.


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## Kidzaplenty (Jun 17, 2006)




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## mom2p.m. (Aug 17, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *chai* 
Here's a decent article:
http://bellybelly.com.au/articles/bi...-cord-clamping

Wow thanks! that is a great article.


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## thefreckledmama (Jun 1, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *belltree* 
There is an unproven theory out there, that delayed clamping can increase the baby's risk of jaundice. Also if the mother is hemorrhaging, earlier clamping can be important.

My last birth was the first we delayed cord clamping, she was the only 1 so far (out of 3), who did not have jaundice.


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## Georgetown HB Mom (Jan 14, 2008)

Below is an article about early cord clamping.

By Lucy Johnston HEALTH EDITOR, Daily Express Weekend - Dec, 16, 2007

CLAMPING a newborn baby's umbilical cord too soon after birth can lead to oxygen deprivation and may explain the dramatic rise in autism, scientists have warned.

Groundbreaking research suggests the routine practice of cutting the cord quickly after delivery may reduce an infant's supplies of oxygen and nutrient rich blood in the crucial minutes before they start breathing.

Specialists now believe that in vulnerable infants this is leading to brain hemorrhaging, iron deficiencies and mental impairment, including autism, a mental condition characterized by extreme loneliness and a desire for sameness. Experts say this now affects up to one in 100 children &#8230; a sevenfold rise over the past decade.

Last night. David Hutchon, consultant obstetrician at Darlington Memorial Hospital who has studied the effects of cord clamping said: "Babies are being put at risk by clamping the cord too quickly.

"The blood and oxygen supplies in the baby are rapidly decreasing during the minutes after birth. Infants need an increased blood volume to till their lungs and the rest of their organs that are coming into use.

He added: "In susceptible infants, early cord clamping and the lack of blood to the baby increases the risk of brain hemorrhage and breathing problems. This could help explain the rise in autism. Why are we doing it?"

He added that he considered the modern practice of early cord c1amping to be "criminal" in particularly vulnerable and undernourished infants. And he said, "Obstetricians are more likely to clamp early than midwives. It is perhaps significant that autism seems to be more prevalent in babies who were delivered by an obstetrician."

Umbilical cords are now clamped almost immediately ... before 30 seconds in many hospitals because over the last 20 years doctors have increasingly believed this could reduce the risk of mothers bleeding to death.

However: a growing number of experts, including Mr Hutchon, believe the risks to the baby outweigh the potential harm to the mother. They say at least three minutes should elapse before the cord is cut to allow the mother's blood from the placenta to continue to flow into the baby until its breathing is more established.

Their theory is borne out by recent research. In one major study, involving more than 1,900 newborns and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, delaying cord clamping for two minutes reduced the risk of anemia by half and low iron levels in the blood by a third.

Eileen Hutton, assistant dean of midwifery at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, who carried out the research, said: "These benefits extend beyond the early neonatal period."

Another study carried out by Andrew Weeks, and published in the British Medical .Journal had similar findings: Dr Weeks, senior lecturer in Obstetrics at the University of ********* and practicing obstetrician at ********* Women's Hospital, told the Sunday Express: "I delay the cutting of the cord. This is especially important for premature babies who have fragile blood vessels. The lack of blood supply could theoretically lead to autism.

"There is evidence to show it [immediate clamping] can damage a baby but none to show it can benefit."

Patrick O'Brien, spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said: "The latest research does suggest parents should be given a choice and it should be discussed routinely in antenatal classes."

Birth injuries caused by immediate clamping of the umbilical cord are explained and discussed fully at the following web sites:

www.autism-end-it-now.org
www.birth-brain-injury.org
www.cordclamp.com

G. M. Morley MD FACOG

Email [email protected]


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## Tweety_Bird (Feb 6, 2015)

This is an excellent video regarding cord clamping:


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