RTI uses cookies to offer you the best experience online. By clicking “accept” on this website, you opt in and you agree to the use of cookies. If you would like to know more about how RTI uses cookies and how to manage them please view our Privacy Policy here. You can “opt out” or change your mind by visiting: http://optout.aboutads.info/. Click “accept” to agree.
Effects of delayed cord clamping in very-low-birth-weight infants
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child (2011). Effects of delayed cord clamping in very-low-birth-weight infants. Journal of Perinatology, 31(Suppl. 1), S68-S71.
Objective: Delayed cord clamping (DCC) may be beneficial in very-preterm and very-low-birth-weight infants. Study Design: This study was a randomized unmasked controlled trial. It was performed at three centers of the NICHD (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Neonatal Research Network. DCC in very-preterm and very-low-birth-weight infants will result in an increase in hematocrit levels at 4 h of age. Infants with a gestational age of 24 to 28 weeks were randomized to either early cord clamping (< 10 s) or DCC (30 to 45 s). The primary outcome was venous hematocrit at 4 h of age. Secondary outcomes included delivery room management, selected neonatal morbidities and the need for blood transfusion during the infants' hospital stay. Result: A total of 33 infants were randomized: 17 to the immediate cord clamping group (cord clamped at 7.9 +/- 5.2 s, mean +/- s.d.) and 16 to the DCC (cord clamped at 35.2 +/- 10.1 s) group. Hematocrit was higher in the DCC group (45 +/- 8% vs 40 +/- 5%, P < 0.05). The frequency of events during delivery room resuscitation was almost identical between the two groups. There was no difference in the hourly mean arterial blood pressure during the first 12 h of life; there was a trend in the difference in the incidence of selected neonatal morbidities, hematocrit at 2, 4 and 6 weeks, as well as the need for transfusion, but none of the differences was statistically significant. Conclusion: A higher hematocrit is achieved by DCC in very-low-birthweight infants, suggesting effective placental transfusion. Journal of Perinatology (2011) 31, S68-S71; doi: 10.1038/jp.2010.186