I came across a very interesting article via Science Daily that delves into whether or not one should wait to cut the umbilical cord immediately after birth.
According to the article’s research “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.”
In another article on ScienceDaily.com concerning cutting of cords, studies suggest that delaying the cutting simply by two minutes, decreases the infant’s risk for iron anemia and boosts its reserves.
For more research and references on cord cutting please see below:
Cord Issues at GentleBirth.org
“Umbilical Cords Clamped Too Soon, Researchers Say” at Yahoo News
“Natural Childbirth: Delayed Cord Clamping” at Eco Child’s Play
– Danielle Buffardi is a freelance writer and editor. Visit her on the web at http://www.PenPointEditorial.com