Cutting cord early 'risk to babies'

Umbilical clamping could lead to anaemia London – Mai Mihaimeed The standard practice of cutting the umbilical cord immediately after birth puts the baby at risk of iron deficiency, The National Childbirth Trust (NCT) says. Official guidelines on the practice are currently being examined, with campaigners and professionals already calling for their change. It was found that leaving the cord attached for a few minutes after birth allows vital blood from the placenta in the cord to transfer to the baby. Belinda Phipps, chief executive of the NCT, said: "When a baby is born, about a third of the baby's blood is still in his/her cord and placenta. With no good evidence to support it, it is accepted practice to accelerate the arrival of the placenta with an injection and clamp and cut the cord immediately, depriving the baby of this blood." The NCT is lobbying to reverse the practice that has been in place since in the United Kingdom since the 1960s and saying that the cutting of the cord should be delayed for anything between 30 seconds and up to five minutes, after which it should stop pulsating naturally. Obstetricians and gynaecologists say the immediate clamping of an umbilical cord can put children at risk of becoming anaemic, which in turn can affect brain development. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence intends to announce new guidelines in 2014. Some hospitals in the United Kingdom have already changed their practice in light of the new evidence.