Singapore – Thousands of preterm babies could be saved by waiting 60 seconds before clamping the umbilical cord after birth instead of clamping it immediately - according to two international studies supported by hundreds of parents and professionals worldwide and coordinated by the National Health and Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Centre, Sydney. The studies were presented to more than 1,350 international neonatal care professionals at the Vermont Oxford Network (VON) 2017 Annual Quality Congress in Chicago.
Approved for publishing in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the review led by University of Sydney researchers, assessed morbidity and mortality outcomes from 18 trials comparing delayed versus immediate cord clamping in nearly 3,000 babies born before 37 weeks' gestation. It found clear evidence that delayed clamping reduced hospital mortality by a third and is safe for mothers and pre-term infants.
The review also reported that delayed clamping reduced subsequent blood transfusions and increased neonatal hematocrit, confirming that placental transfusion occurred.
"The review shows for the first time that simply clamping the cord 60 seconds after birth improves survival," said the University of Sydney's Professor William Tarnow-Mordi, senior author.
"It confirms international guidelines recommending delayed clamping in all preterm babies who do not need immediate resuscitation."
The systematic review confirms new findings from the Australian Placental Transfusion Study, published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine, reporting that delayed clamping mightreduce mortality before 36 weeks – tentative evidence that required confirmation by an updated review of all relevant trials.
