Optimal Cord Clamping and Stem Cells – When to Cut the Cord?

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What if there were a simple, free, natural way to give your baby a bit better start on the first day of life:

  • Improving blood counts now
  • Reducing the chance of iron deficiency later
  • Improving oxygen levels in the brain
  • Reducing serious bacterial infections
  • Stabilizing blood sugar levels
  • Improving organ growth

A growing number of studies suggest that what medical literature calls “delayed” cord clamping (what I call optimal cord clamping) might do all of the above, and more. Throughout almost all of human history, in all parts of the world, and throughout the world of mammals, the umbilical cord remains connected both to the baby and the placenta at least until the cord stops pulsing (sometimes longer). Usually this is 90 seconds to 3 minutes or so.

The idea of rushing to clamp and cut the cord within 20 seconds is a recent idea, so that professionals can take charge of and examine the baby right away. It’s not clear this practice is beneficial for healthy, stable babies.

At the moment of birth, perhaps 2/3 of a term baby’s blood is in the baby; 1/3 remains in the cord and placenta. For premature babies, it might be only half.

Waiting the extra seconds for what I prefer to call “normal” cord clamping rather than “rushed” cord clamping, gives the baby an extra supply of iron – a supply that can last for 6 full months – perhaps enough to prevent iron deficiency throughout the entire first year. I believe babies were originally designed to get iron from their mothers, not from fortified processed foods like white rice cereal.

A Natural Stem Cell Transplant

The extra blood the baby gets by what I call “normal” clamping isn’t just any blood – it’s once-in-a-lifetime, rich, umbilical cord blood, which is packed with an assortment of powerful stem cells. These stem cells are still migrating from the placenta into the baby at the birth moment.

Those who favor cord blood banking rush to clamp and cut the cord earlier, to capture the valuable stem cells so they can whisk these stem cells away to be preserved in cold storage. This is better than just throwing the stem cells away.

I prefer going with the age-old natural process of letting these potent stem cells plant themselves in the baby as a last gift at birth, to grow within and carry out the purposes for which they were designed. Cutting edge science is just beginning to appreciate and understand the true value of this gift.

Tolosa JN, Park DH, Eve DJ, Klasko SK, Borlongan CV, and Sanberg PR. “Mankind’s First Natural Stem Cell Transplant.” Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. Mar 2010, 14(3):488-495.

McDonald SJ, Middleton P. “Effect of timing of umbilical cord clamping of term infants on maternal and neonatal outcomes.” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD004074. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004074.pub2.

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Comments

Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 2011-09-22 11:24.

Choose your care provider carfully

I have been a doula and childbirth educator for the last 6 years and have been an advocate of delayed cord clamping. It is amazing to me how many doctors are in such a hurry to clamp.It has taken me years for doctors in my area to become familiar with the idea but it has taken hold.They now know when they see me at a birth that mom and dad are going to request delayed cord clamping and they need to wait until the cord is done pulsing before they clamp. I really don't know if my attempts to educate beyond when I am at a birth have done any good.I have certainly done my best to give the research and the science behind it. I see the UK has recently changed their recommendations to support delayed cord clamping and even support resuscitation , if necessary, with the cord attached.
Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 2011-03-30 21:13.

normal cord clamping

I animate-teach paternity classes (www.eutokia.gr) where i present more or less the same story as drgreene. Are there any research communications or articles that would corroborate our intuitive conviction that the last drops of blood from mother to newborn are priceless and irreplaceable ? Thank you in advance Best regards yorgisali@gmail.com
Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 2011-03-30 19:51.

Question

What you say makes sense and I agree with what you are saying. One the other side would there still be the ability to harvest some of the cord blood? My son is a 2 time cancer survivor and he was his own donor of stem cells to regrow his marrow after mega dose chemo wiped it out. We also know 3 kids that receive life giving transplants from donated cord blood.
Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 2011-03-30 18:13.

Delayed clamping AND cord blood collection

Delayed clamping AND cord blood collection can be done. I researched this and donated to the public bank with my 2nd child. The collection kit directions even verified that some delay for cord clamping was standard procedure. There is info out there if ob's or midwives are unfamiliar with the techniques maybe on Sarah buckley's site? I was told that there was a very small chance that we wouldn't get a full sample if we choose to delay but since my decision was to donate to the public bank, there was no urgency to endure a full sample If a family had a known genetic risk, I could see the need for clamping and private storage, but I don't see a legitimate need for private banks or a rush to clamp except in these very rare cases.
Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 2011-03-30 16:14.

I have decided not to

I have decided not to bank/donate my baby's cord blood for this reason. My midwife tells me that her past attempts at donating have resulted in rejection from donation sites because it is not enough to donate after the cord stops pulsing. Also, I recently heard of cord blood banking salespeople soliciting customers right outside OB offices, AND people going back to get their banked cord blood only to have an apology issued that the blood no longer exists with their money returned promptly. If that doesn't scream money-making scheme, I don't know what does.

Reply

Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 2011-03-31 20:19.

Public / Private

I'm in Canada so most of it is public. There have been a couple of these private companies start up but they haven't been having a lot of success. I knew there were private companies in the US but not their underhanded tactics.

Reply

Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 2011-04-03 14:01.

mostly private?

When I had my daughter (in Canada) the only options for cord blood banking were through private companies and they all charged an arm and a leg (thousands of dollars). We opted not to do it because it wasn't affordable. Where in Canada are there public cord blood clinics?
Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 2011-03-30 14:39.

A mothers request

5
Can a mother request the cord not be clamped right away at birth?? I mean, I would prefer my baby reap the benefits rather then paying thousands of dollars to have it stored for "later use" when that "later use" may never come. Is that something I can decide and relay to my doctor?

Reply

Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 2011-04-27 04:17.

depends

Whether or not a mother's requests is honored depends a lot on her relationship with the MD and the hospital protocols. And these days, mother's are likely to be in a group practice where any agreement she makes with one physician don't hold water with the partner who shows up at the birth. And (at least at the hospital I work), birth plans and requests are laughed at. The MD may give lip service upon admittance, but "of course, we have to do what's 'best for the baby' and you need to be open to change" And then of course, it's always a semi-crisis and the peds "need" baby quickly. I reminded one MD of a patient's request for delayed cord clamping and was told "we don't do lotus birth here, it's against CDC rules". Good grief. She's not asking for no clamping ever, she wants you to wait 3 minutes. I think she got an extra 10-25 seconds.

Reply

Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 2011-03-31 10:07.

Yes!

I was just a friend's birth yesterday, and she requested delayed cord clamping, which the doctor honored. Her baby's cord was clamped about 2 minutes after she was born. Your doctor should respect your decision to delay the cord clamping...otherwise, you might need to find a new doctor! :) Good luck.
Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 2011-03-30 11:43.

quick clamping

this is a fascinating take, I've not heard of this before. Do you if the "timing" is prescribed by the cord blood banking companies/technology?