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25 May 2010
Umbilical clamping in the spotlight again 
Researchers at the University of South Florida say umbilical cord clamping at birth should be delayed just a few minutes so that "nature's first stem cell transplant" can finish. Their findings, appearing in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, explain that delaying clamping for a slightly longer period of time allows more umbilical cord blood volume to transfer from mother to infant and, with that critical period extended, many good physiological "gifts" are transferred. "Several clinical studies have shown that delaying clamping the umbilical cord not only allows more blood to be transferred but helps prevent anemia as well," said the paper's lead author Dr. Paul Sanberg. "Cord blood also contains many valuable stem cells, making this transfer of stem cells a process that might be considered the original stem cell transplant." In Western medical practice, early clamping - from 30 seconds to one minute after birth - remains the most common practice among obstetricians and midwives, perhaps because the benefits of delaying clamping have not been clear. However, waiting for more than a minute, or until the cord stops pulsating, may be beneficial, the study suggests. According to study co-author Dr. Dong-Hyuk Park, the relationship between cord clamping time and the transfer of stem cells needs to be understood through the early weeks of the perinatal period and the process of "hematopoiesis," the formation of blood cells that begins as early as two weeks into pregnancy. A transfer of pluripotent stems cells continues throughout pregnancy, however, and for a time through the umbilical cord following delivery.
"Several randomized, controlled trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses have compared the effects of late versus early cord clamping," said Dr. Park. "In pre-term infants, delaying clamping the cord for at least 30 seconds reduced incidences of intraventricular hemorrhage, late on-set sepsis, anemia, and decreased the need for blood transfusions." The researchers concluded that many common disorders in newborns related to the immaturity of organ systems may receive benefits from delayed clamping. These may include: respiratory distress; anemia; sepsis; intraventricular haemorrhage; and periventricular leukomalacia. They also speculate that other health problems, such as chronic lung disease, prematurity apneas and retinopathy of prematurity, may also be affected by a delay in cord blood clamping. Related:
Delay Umbilical Cord Clamping, Say Nutritionists
Pregnancy discussion Source: University of South Florida Health
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