Umbilical cord cutting
IN PHOTO: A nurse cuts the umbilical cord of a newborn baby at a hospital run by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in Bunia, in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, June 27, 2003. MSF have been operating emergency relief in Bunia after the town was devastated by clashes between rival [ethnic Hema and Lendu militias following the Ugandan Army's withdrawal from the area in May.] The hospital treats over 170 people each day and provides medicine for those in need, regardless of their ability to pay. Reuters

Cutting umbilical cord several minutes after birth is found to offer benefits compared to cutting the cord seconds after, a new study suggests. The researchers found that the benefits are likely related to iron, 10News reports.

Delaying cord clamping provides extra time for the foetal blood in the placenta to circulate and be transferred to the infant. These benefits, particularly reducing iron deficiency during four to six months of life, have already been established by the World Health Organization. The recent study made those benefits clearer.

In the new study, researchers from Sweden followed up on 263 Swedish participants born full-term to healthy moms four years ago. The children had been part of the randomised study as new-borns and they were assigned randomly to either early umbilical cord cutting (within 10 seconds after birth) or delayed cord cutting (at least three minutes).

"Delaying cord clamping for three minutes after delivery resulted in similar overall neurodevelopment and behaviour among 4-year-old children compared with early cord clamping," researchers wrote in their May 26 published report found in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Overall, the study showed no difference in behaviour scores and brain development for both groups; there was also no noted difference in IQ scores. However, children who had their umbilical cord clamped later had better fine motor skills.

In addition, some social skills were better developed in those kids compared to the group who had early cord clamping. The researchers found this difference to be noticeable among boys only.

WHO recommends cord clamping to be done at least a minute following birth. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, in a 2012 report, said that there is not enough evidence that proves delayed clamping benefits full-term infants.

However, according to study lead author Ola Andersson of the Upssala University in Sweden, the new study provides more evidence of the benefit of delayed cord clamping in full-term babies born in a high-income country where cases of nutritional deficiency are rare.

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