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Timing of clamping the cord

Newborn babies are less likely to develop an iron deficiency if the umbilical cord is kept in place for three minutes at birth, Swedish scientists claimed.

Researchers from Umea University in Sweden tested 400 babies — some who had their umbilical cords clamped after at least three minutes and others who had them clamped less than 10 seconds after delivery.

The babies whose umbilical clamping was delayed benefited from higher iron levels at four months.

For every 20 babies whose cords are clamped three minutes or more after birth, one case of iron deficiency would be prevented. There also were fewer cases of neonatal anemia in those with delayed clamping.

There were no adverse health effects from delayed clamping, according to the findings, published in the British Medical Journal.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/11/16/umbilical-cord-should-not-be-cut-for-3-minutes-study-says/#ixzz20djyqH87

It’s been known that delaying cord clamping is beneficial to the baby for some time now, but it’s rare to see a birth in the hospital where the attending OB waits to clamp. As Rachel Reed, author of Midwifethinking.com, states, “the baby/placenta are one blood circulation unit”. The blood in the placenta belongs to the baby, and the cord should remain intact until it stops pulsing. For these same reasons, I do not believe in cord blood banking. That blood is part of the same blood circulation unit and it is the baby’s to keep. 

(sources: here and here)