Delayed Cord Clamping in VLBW Infants

This study tested the hypothesis that delaying clamping of the umbilical cord in extremely low birthweight (ELBW) infants would result in additional blood transfusion from the placenta to the baby, increasing the infant's blood volume and blood pressure. Higher blood pressure may improve blood flow to the brain that may reduce potential the risk of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and/or intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). The additional placental flow may also increase the amount of stem cells and cytokines flowing to the baby, improving immune status and reducing the risk of infection, while at the same time reducing the need for blood transfusions in the neonatal period. This was a pilot study to test the feasibility of having obstetricians delay cord clamping for 30-45 seconds, and to confirm whether the procedure significantly increases the baby's hematocrit during the first 4 hours of life.