Effects of Milking the Umbilical Cord on Systemic Blood Flow

Premature babies are at risk for bleeding in their brains, which can result in developmental delays or other neurological problems such as cerebral palsy. Clamping the baby's umbilical cord immediately after birth is standard, but delaying this procedure allows more of the baby's blood to move from the placenta into the baby and prevents head bleeds. However, a delay in clamping the umbilical cord is not usually done in very premature babies, because it would delay their treatment and they could get cold. Milking the umbilical cord is another way to give premature babies more of their own blood while avoiding a delay in treatment. Umbilical cord milking has been shown to improve blood pressure, decrease the need for blood transfusions, and increase the amount of urine made in the first few days of life.