Comparison of delayed cord clamping and umbilical cord milking in late preterm and term Infants – An Open Label Randomised Control Trial.

The umbilical cord is the lifeline that connects the placenta to the fetus. It contains umbilical arteries that carry blood from the infant to the placenta and umbilical veins which carry blood from the placenta to the infant. Following birth, blood continues to flow through umbilical arteries (from the infant to the placenta) for approximately 20-25 seconds and is negligible by 45 seconds (Yao and Lind, 1974). In the umbilical vein, however, blood continues to flow from the placenta to the infant for up to 3 minutes after delivery (Dewey and Chaparro, 2007). 1. Umbilical cord milking is as effective as delaying the umbilical cord clamping in achieving higher haemoglobin levels at two months of age in late preterm and term infants delivered both by caesarean section and vaginal route. 2. Umbilical cord milking and delayed cord clamping resulted in comparable levels of haemoglobin and hematocrit at 48 hours of life implying that similar amount of placental transfusion occurs in both the groups. 3. Milking the umbilical cord resulted in similar iron stores when compared to that of the delayed cord clamping. 4. Umbilical cord milking does not produce significant hemodynamic disturbances. 5. Frequency of adverse effects like significant hyperbilirubinemia requiring phototherapy, respiratory distress and Polycythemia were similar in both the groups.