NIH-Funded Study Suggests Umbilical Cord Milking May Provide Rapid Support for Preterm Infants
A recent study supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that umbilical cord milking may provide a safe and effective option for preterm infants born after 28 weeks who need rapid support. The study, published in Pediatrics, found that the procedure may enable a faster response than the standard practice of delayed cord clamping.
Umbilical cord milking involves gently squeezing the cord between the thumb and forefinger to push blood into the newborn’s abdomen. The new findings from the NIH-funded study suggest that concerns raised by a previous study do not apply to preterm infants born after 28 weeks. The procedure takes about 20 seconds, reducing the delay for infants who need immediate assistance, such as respiratory support.
The study, led by Dr. Anup Katheria of the Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns in San Diego and colleagues in the United States, Canada, and Europe, randomly assigned over 1,000 infants to either umbilical cord milking or delayed cord clamping. The rates of severe intraventricular hemorrhage and/or death did not differ significantly between the two groups, and the rates of overall intraventricular hemorrhage were also similar.
Nahida Chakhtoura, M.D., chief of the NICHD Pregnancy and Perinatology Branch, is available for further comment on the study.
For more information about the study and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, visit https://www.nichd.nih.gov. Additionally, for more information about the National Institutes of Health and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.