OPTIMAL CORD CLAMPING

Let's talk about cord clamping - you've probably heard about delayed cord clamping, but what about optimal cord clamping?

Cords cut before 60 seconds after delivery are considered early cord clamping. Ideally, the cord should not be cut until it has stopped pulsating. This ensures that all the blood flow from the placenta to your new baby has completed its journey, allowing baby to receive the optimum amount of blood and nourishment from the placenta.

"The transfer of the blood that has been circulating in the placenta in the moments after birth is the main reason that it is important to allow time before clamping and cutting the baby’s cord. Many practitioners are aware that the baby needs to be able to access its full complement of blood in order to support lung expansion and additional blood volume requirements from the placenta which occur as the first breaths of air are taken. If the cord is clamped immediately at birth, blood from the placenta cannot flow through it and this blood therefore cannot be used to support the process of lung expansion and respiration. Blood then has to be ‘borrowed’ from the rest of the baby’s circulation in order for its lungs to become fully functioning, even though the baby’s other vital organs also need blood to function fully and optimally" (Mercer et al 2008, Mercer & Erickson-Owens 2010)

A 2021 study showed that delaying cord clamping for at least three minutes improves iron stores in infants and supports their health and development. For preterm infants, delayed cord clamping reduces mortality by approximately 30%. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/birt.12645