Squeezing blood from babies’ umbilical cord into their abdomen can be used to prevent anemia in premature babies born after the 28th week. The research was published in the journal Pediatrics.
Cord milking involves gently squeezing the umbilical cord with the thumb and index finger to keep blood flowing to the newborn’s abdomen. Delayed cord clamping also carries blood to the baby, but in smaller amounts and for longer. Expression has been shown to be effective in preventing anemia in premature babies, but has also been shown to be associated with an increased risk of intracerebral hemorrhage. In a new study, scientists have proven that this complication is typical only for babies born before the 28th week of pregnancy.
More than 1,000 babies were randomly assigned to umbilical cord expression or delayed cord clamping. The incidence of severe intracerebral hemorrhage or survival did not differ significantly between the two groups. This may mean that umbilical cord milking does not increase the risk of complications in babies born after 28 weeks and may be an effective alternative to delay placental compression. Scientists will follow all babies in the study for two years to determine long-term effects.
The research was conducted at Sharp Mary Birch Women’s and Newborn Hospital in San Diego, USA, as well as hospitals in Canada and Europe.
Biologists before I learnedthat dolphins feed their young with poisoned milk.