Delayed cord clamping at a cesarean
It helps your baby and does not cost you blood.
In a randomized trial of 113 women having a term cesarean, waiting 60 seconds before clamping the cord raised the newborn's hemoglobin at 24 to 72 hours from 16.4 to 18.1 grams per deciliter. Maternal blood loss, measured as the drop in hemoglobin the next day, was not significantly different.
+1.7
g/dL higher newborn hemoglobin with delayed clamping
Randomized trial, 113 women
No change
In maternal blood loss
Same trial
Ask for it in advance and have it written on your chart. In the moment, a busy operating room defaults to immediate clamping.
Where this comes from:
311. Purisch SE, Ananth CV, Arditi B, Mauney L, Ajemian B, Heiderich A, et al. Effect of delayed vs immediate umbilical cord clamping on maternal blood loss in term cesarean delivery: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2019;322(19):1869-1876.
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