Smallwonders.com

Delayed Cord Clamping Should Be Standard Practice in Obstetrics

admin — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 02:18:13 +0000

In this article that Dr Fogelson wrote on delayed cord clamping in the ACADEMIC OB/GYN, you will find lots of interesting details about how it benefits Baby.

Clinical Benefits of Delayed Cord Clamping – the Quick Version

admin — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 01:46:31 +0000

This resource is from Nicholas Fogelson, M.D. He offers a synopsis of research on the benefits of delayed cord clamping to colleagues and medical students at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. He even suggests that the burden of proof should fall on the medical community to show that immediate cord clamping is best for moms and babies. This resource would be excellent to share with your care provider if you need help convincing him/her of the benefits of waiting.

Although the entire Grand Rounds session is lengthy (about an hour), it is well worth your time, especially if you want to explore the benefits to at-risk infants like preemies.

Dr. Fogelson touts the following benefits of delayed cord clamping:

Increased Hemoglobin
Increased Blood Volume
Increasted Hematocrit
Protects against Iron Deficiency
In Preterm Infants - Protects against Sepsis and Intraventricular Hemorrhage

Other points of interest from the research Dr. Fogelson presented:

50% of the blood volume in the placenta is transferred to the baby in the first minute after birth
The remaining volume transfers in 2-5 minutes
Preemies benefit from delaying cord clamping by as little as 30-45 seconds
You do not need to keep the baby lower than the placenta for blood transfer to occur. The blood transfers to the baby efficiently when the baby is placed on the mom’s abdomen/chest
Milking the cord (as opposed to just leaving it alone, unclamped) does not increase the blood transferred and may increase the risk of clinically significant jaundice

Dr. Fogelson presents compelling evidence that delayed cord clamping benefits babies. Your baby will benefit from all of his/her blood volume AND you will help spread a more evidence-based approach to after birth care.

Is childbirth amazing or what?

admin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:27:05 +0000

Every birth I attend and even the ones I read about add to my awe at how wonderfully this process works. So, with all the researching and reading I do, I finally decided to write about the highlights so that my clients and colleagues can also benefit from all the intriguing and interesting info that is coming available. Over and over research supports that natural labour, left to unfold on its own, is best for baby and mom, with interventions only sometimes needed.

As my first example, there is more and more research out there explaining why it is better to delay clamping the umbilical cord for at least a minute or until it has stopped pulsing. Some of the articles will be added shortly, others such as this research outlines the many benefits to baby. If you are willing to spend the time, you will be absolutely blessed by a youtube video of a Grand Rounds presentation by Dr Nicholas Fogelson on delayed cord clamping.

Dr Fogelson likens early cord clamping to the history of episiotomies and wonders “why delayed cord clamping has not become the standard already; why by and large we have not heeded the literature.”

Check it out, your baby will be glad you did!