Can a Delayed Cord Cutting Hurt a Baby? When parents-to-be arrive at the hospital to finally deliver the baby, the last thing on their minds is probably the umbilical cord. In most hospitals, physicians cut the umbilical cord shortly after delivering the baby, but there's no hard or fast rule as to when this should be done. It's a common practice and it's been used for hundreds of years. However, new studies are now showing that a quicker cutting may help a newborn's development. This new study, considered "new age" or alternative by most medical standards at this time, included 64 pregnant women in its study. All of them were healthy throughout their pregnancies, and none of them had any major complications throughout those nine months. All of the women delivered at San Cecilio Clinical Hospital, located in Granada, California, and their births were spontaneous vaginal deliveries. …show more content…
The other half of the babies had their umbilical cords clamps after a solid two minutes. The study measured the babies' oxidative stress levels. According to their findings, those babies who had their umbilical cord clamped sooner had more positive oxidative stress levels than the ones who had theirs clamps two minutes after birth. To measure the oxidative stress level, researchers looked at the antioxidant capacity. It was higher in what they called matured newborns. Moreover, researchers found the inflammatory effects were much more moderate in cases of a woman's induced delivery. In short, we can see form this study that umbilical cord clamping has an effect on inflammatory signals that are created in both the child and the mother. By clamping the cord at the two-minute mark, the inflammatory signal is not reduced, which means the body is basically fighting for oxygen, and the researchers conclude that this could affect the child's first few days of
Cord clamping is a procedure where a baby’s umbilical cord is clamped and cut. This procedure clamps off the baby’s arteries and vein contained within the cord, which can immediately halt circulation depending on when the clamps are applied. Cord clamping might be done prior, during, immediately after or hours after birth. When cord severance is performed a plastic clamp is also applied to the remaining cord to prevent blood loss from the baby. I chose this topic because it is very interesting to see the differences between early cord clamping and the delayed cord clamping process. There are a few differences that I have found when doing my research on how delayed cord clamping can benefit the baby.
When pregnant, many expecting mothers are faced with a very tough decision, the decision to have an epidural during labor or to have a natural birth. Both methods have negative and positive aspects. This topic has such conflicting views that about 50% of women decide to get an epidural when going into labor and the other 50% of women choose the alternative: natural childbirth. It is important for an expecting mother to look into both options thoroughly to ensure they make the best choice for both themselves and for their child. With all of the speculations circulating about both options, it is hard for mothers to see the truth about both epidurals and natural childbirth.
Chaparro CM, Neufeld LM, Tena Alavez G, Eguia-Liz Cedillo R, Dewey KG. Effect of timing of umbilical cord clamping on iron status in Mexican infants: a randomized controlled trial. Lancet 2012;367:1997–2004. Retrieved November 9, 2014
"7 Tips For Having A Natural Childbirth." Fit Pregnancy. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. .
Although there are many factors that affect the development of the fetus, research on the specific effects of prenatal maternal stress and the resulting negative outcomes for the development of the fetus will be reviewed. While there is knowledge of these harmful effects in scientific and medical communities, researchers are still in the midst of discovering the results of these negative effects on human development. An overall review of the literature suggests that this topic is still relatively new in research as most of the articles make note that despite the amount of current research studies, there are still many unanswered questions.
Modercin-McCarthy M. A., McCue S., Walker J. Preterm infants and stress: A tool for the neonatal nurse. J Perinat Neonatal Nurs, 1997; 10, 62-71.
Prenatal brain development is not usually the first topic on a pregnant woman’s mind, if it crosses her mind at all! Many women do not know what adverse effects certain circumstances can have on a child’s development. The most obvious deterrent of brain development would be a physical injury to the child. If any portion of the child’s brain is damaged during pregnancy, the effects will almost certainly be long term. Most pregnant women successfully take the necessary steps to avoid physically damaging the child’s brain. Perhaps even scarier is the thought that continuous exposure to stress can also permanently damage the brain development of a child that has yet to be born. The US National Library of Medicine states that in humans and animals, prolonged exposure to stress that can be controlled by the mother may result in abnormal behavioral, cognitive, and psychosocial outcomes. It is important for mothers to remember that they are no longer taking care of only themselves. Though unborn, there is a lot of damage that can be ...
The umbilical cord has a vital role in keeping babies alive in the womb but could help cure a range of diseases and injuries (2010, Weaver). The umbilical cord contains a rich souse of stem cells, which are valuable because they can regenerate and fix human tissue. Some cells also have the ability to turn into different types of cells. Scientist believes with these ‘master’ cells they will be able to treat a wide range of disorders such as cancer, auto-immune diseases and arthritis. Storing the cord blood of new born babies could be a lifesaver to children’s that may become sick in their young age or it may just be a waste of money in the end, with currently only 1 in 41,000 (1% ) Australian mothers have chosen to bank their child’s cord blood.
According to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, “In the United States, nearly thirteen percent of babies are born preterm, and many of these babies also have a low birth weight.” The baby may be put into the NICU for varies reasons. However, the most common reason that a child is put into the NICU is because he or she is premature. Premature means the baby was born before the 36 weeks. It is never good for a baby to be born early, as this could mean that the baby is not fully developed. There are other factors as to why a child may need to be put into the NICU after birth. For instance, birth defects can be the cause of why a baby is put into the NICU. A baby may be born with an infection such as herpes or chlamydia which can damage the newborns immune system at such a young age. Low blood sugar or hypoglycemia can also cause an infant to be put into the NICU. Some maternal factors of why a baby may be put into the NICU is if the mother is “younger than 16 or older than 40.” If the parent may be an alcoholic or expose the baby to drugs, this can put the child into NICU care. If the parent has an STD or sexual transmitted disease, the baby is most likely going to have to be put into the intensive care unit. “Twins, triplets, and other multiples are often admitted into the NICU, as they tend to be born earlier and s...
New technologies are being developed every day. The latest advance in fetal monitoring is the fetal oxygen monitor: “A device that directly measures fetal oxygen saturation during labor and delivery is now available and has the potential to reduce the number of Cesarean sections performed for non-reassuring heart rates.” (Mechcatie) The article by Mechcatie describes the monitor extremely well: “The device’s sensor, located at the end of a flexible tube, is made of pliable plastic and is inserted through the cervical os until it lies along the fetal cheek, where the pressure of the uterine wall keeps it in place during labor. The sensor shines light into the fetal skin and computes the oxygen saturation by measuring the color of the reflected light coming through the blood cells.”
Worldwide, the rate of cesarean section is increasing. According to the CDC, in 2012 the rate of cesarean sections comprised 32.8% of all births in the United States (CDC, 2013). Between 1996-2009 the cesarean section rate has risen 60% in the U.S (CDC, 2013). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 50% of the 137 countries studies had cesarean section rates higher than 15% (WHO, 2010). The current goal of U.S. 2020 Healthy People is to reduce the rate of cesarean section to a target of 23.9%, which is almost 10% lower than the current rate (Healthy People 2020, 2013). According to a study conducted by Gonzales, Tapia, Fort, and Betran (2013), the appropriate percentage of performed cesarean sections is unclear, and is dependent on the circumstances of each individual birth (p. 643). Though often a life-saving procedure when necessary, the risks and complications associated with cesarean delivery are a cause for alarm due to the documented rate increase of this procedure across the globe. Many studies have revealed that cesarean deliveries increase the incidence of maternal hemorrhage and mortality and neonatal respiratory distress when compared to vaginal deliveries. As a result, current research suggests that efforts to reduce the rate of non-medically indicated cesarean sections should be made, and that comprehensive patient education should be provided when considering an elective cesarean delivery over a planned vaginal delivery.
Over the years birthing methods have changed a great deal. When technology wasn’t so advanced there was only one method of giving birth, vaginally non-medicated. However, in today’s society there are now more than one method of giving birth. In fact, there are three methods: Non-medicated vaginal delivery, medicated vaginal delivery and cesarean delivery, also known as c-section. In the cesarean delivery there is not much to prepare for before the operation, except maybe the procedure of the operation. A few things that will be discussed are: the process of cesarean delivery, reasons for this birthing method and a few reasons for why this birthing method is used. Also a question that many women have is whether or not they can vaginally deliver after a cesarean delivery, as well as the risks and benefits if it. Delivering a child by a c-section also has a few advantages and disadvantages for both the mother and child; this will also be discussed in more depth a bit later.
Huizink, A. C., Robles de Medina, P. G., Mulder, E. J., Visser, G. H., & Buitelaar, J. K. (2003). Stress during pregnancy is associated with developmental outcome in infancy. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 44(6), 810-818.
I think it is incredible that we have made such advancements in fetal medicine that surgeons are actually able to perform surgery on a fetus while in utero. Deformities like a cleft lip or pallet are about to be fixed in the womb before the child is even born. The video specifically shows a fetus at 26 weeks who has a hole in his diaphragm. This would cause a problem for him after birth if left unfixed because his intestines would grow into his lung cavity preventing him from being able to breath air outside of the womb. Fortunately with medical advancements, doctors were able to perform a procedure on the fetus where a balloon was placed between his diaphragm and lungs to prevent any obstruction from developing. As soon as the child is born the balloon will be removed and he will likely be able to go on without any difficulty breathing. Having access to this particular fetal procedure has increased survival of newborns with this condition by fifty percent. This is just one of many advancements in fetal medicine. We have also come a long way with premature babies, and micro preemies. Babies born at as early as 24 weeks have a more than fifty percent chance of survival. That is why 24 weeks of pregnancy is often times referred to the viability
This journal was useful for me because it gave me the background details on why women are opting for delayed motherhood by the age of 30 or 40. Accordingly, I was able to build up my points on how it will affect the health conditions of both baby and mother and also the risk of taking that challenge.