The optimal timing for clamping the umbilical cord after birth in preterm infants has been a subject of controversy and debate for many years. It has been until recently the standard practice in ob/gyn to clamp the umbilical cord immediately post delivery to allow for immediate transition resuscitation of the neonate, especially in preterm infants. Due to the fact that optimal timing for cord clamping has yet to be definitively established in the preterm population, more information is needed. Immediate cord clamping, however, could preclude the infant from an extra boost in blood volume that may prove beneficial later in the newborn life. Directly comparing the recently recommended practice of delayed umbilical cord clamping to milking the umbilical cord prior to clamping has the potential to prove beneficial for the neonates in question, as well as change daily obstetrical practices. In this study all infants below 34 weeks will be randomized into one of two groups: delayed cord clamping and milking the umbilical cord prior to clamping. The decision was made not to include immediate cord clamping due to a recent American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommendation that all preterm infants have their cord clamping be delayed. Their outcomes will be measured by serial hemoglobin and hematocrit levels while in the NICU, the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis, incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage, and the need for neonatal blood transfusions.
This is a randomized controlled trial that will compare the effects of delayed umbilical cord clamping to umbilical cord milking in preterm infants (less than 34 weeks gestation). The infants' hemoglobin and hematocrit levels in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) will be evaluated, as well as the rates of necrotizing enterocolitis, intraventricular hemorrhage, and blood transfusions. The hypothesis is that milking the umbilical cord prior to clamping is superior to simply delayed cord clamping, presumably providing an increased blood volume to the preterm neonate improving its outcomes.