Squeezing nutrient-rich blood from the umbilical cord into babies who are born pale or struggling to breathe improves health outcomes
Waiting to clamp the umbilical cord allows more nutrient-rich blood to go into a newborn’s body – but there isn’t always time in emergencies
Shutterstock / Sopotnicki
Squeezing blood from the umbilical cord prior to cutting it can improve the health of infants who are born limp, pale or barely breathing.
As a matter of routine, doctors typically wait a few minutes after birth before cutting the umbilical cord. This practice, known as delayed cord clamping, allows more nutrient-rich blood to transfer from the placenta to the newborn baby.
Yet when a newborn is …