news
Delay cord clamping
Delayed clamping in preterm
babies safe and reduces
mortality, new study finds.
W
aiting one minute before
clamping the umbilical cords of
preterm babies could save lives,
according to new research.
Approved for publishing in the
American Journal of Obstetrics and
Gynecology, the systematic review
assessed morbidity and mortality
outcomes in 18 trials comparing delayed
versus immediate cord clamping in nearly
3000 babies born before 37 weeks’
gestation. It found clear evidence that
delayed clamping reduced hospital
mortality by a third and was safe for
mothers and preterm infants.
The review also reported that delayed
clamping reduced subsequent blood
transfusions and increased neonatal
haematocrit, confirming that placental
transfusion occurred.
Associate Professor David Osborn,
the review’s lead author and a neonatal
specialist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital,
Sydney, said the team estimates that for
every 1000 preterm babies born more than
10 weeks early, delayed clamping will save
up to 100 additional lives compared with
immediate clamping.
“This means that, worldwide, using
delayed clamping instead of immediate
clamping can be expected to save between
11,000 and 100,000 additional lives every
year,” Osborn said.
A previous multicentre randomised
controlled trial of more than 1500 preterm
infants – looked at in the systematic
review and called the Australian Placental
Transfusion Study (APTS) – reported that
the mortality rate in the delayed clamping
group was lower (6.4 per cent) than that in
the standard cohort (9 per cent).
Co-author of the APTS, Professor Roger
Soll from the University of Vermont in the
US, said about 15 million babies are born
before 37 weeks’ gestation annually and
one million die. “This procedure costs
nothing and will make a difference to
families worldwide.” ■
NSW . VIC . ACT
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