Cutting The Umbilical Cord

Without question, the umbilical cord is the last thing you are paying attention to after giving birth and holding in your warm arms the baby you waited nine months for. But by doing so, you are neglecting an important issue that will grant your newborn many health benefits.

As a matter of fact, you must make sure to delay clamping and cutting your umbilical cord for a minimum duration of 1 minute, as such a delay can stimulate the transfer of cord blood rich in minerals and vitamins to newborn baby, as confirmed by many studies and recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Here are the reasons why you should ask your doctor to wait and to not cut your cord too early:

• By delaying cord cutting, your newborn’s blood density will increase by 32% to prevent him from developing anemia, especially if you suffer from this condition.
• By delaying the cutting of the umbilical cord, your newborn’s iron storage will increase between 27 and 47 mg, making him less prone to iron deficiency until he’s 6 months old.
• By delaying cord cutting, your newborn will get enough blood to gain healthy weight compared to other newborns.
• By delaying the cutting of the umbilical cord, your newborn will be less prone to have acute intra-abdominal bleedings and catch viral infections from the environment where he was born.
• By delaying cord cutting, your newborn will get the amount of oxygen that will keep him alive until his respiratory system develops.
• By delaying the cutting of the umbilical cord, you will be able to get contact with your baby, touch his skin with affection and bond with him in no time (unless an urgent medical condition requires otherwise).

In addition to the above mentioned reasons, the delay in cutting the umbilical cord plays a role in facilitating vaginal delivery in an atmosphere of calmness and relaxation. However and despite all of these positive points, we mustn’t overlook the increased likelihood of newborns getting jaundice and suffering from its complications due such delay.

While there are pros and cons to delayed cord cutting, the advantages still outweigh the disadvantages while awaiting further studies in this regard.

Read More: What You Need To Know About Your Child’s Immunity