New research shows benefits of delayed cord clamping

For the first time, a new study published in the December issue of The Journal of Pediatrics  proves that delayed clamping, allowsing a return of the infant’s own blood from the placenta, has measurable positive effects on infant development. The study demonstrates that a 5 minute delay can increase baby’s iron-rich blood cells by up to 50%, boosting iron stores and brain myelin in areas important for early-life functional development.

The study, conducted by certified nurse-midwives Prof Debra A. Erickson-Owens, and emeritus Prof  Judith S. Mercer, “shows that waiting five minutes or more before clamping the umbilical cord, while infants are held skin-to-skin with the mother, leads to more myelin development,” Prof Erickson-Owens said. “This is a low-tech, low-cost technique that we believe can mitigate iron deficiency and vulnerability to anemia.