Placental Transfusion in Term Infants: A Pilot Study

The proposed study is a pilot prospective controlled trial to measure the placental residual blood volume after varying cord clamping protocols when the infants are placed skin-to-skin on the maternal abdomen. The study assessed compliance of the providers with the different protocols. Placental transfusion (PT) has been shown to increase infant body iron stores at 6 months of age without increasing adverse outcomes. However, the optimal protocol to achieve adequate placental transfusion is not known. The practice of cord clamping at birth is not uniform among obstetrical providers because adequate evidence to support early or late cord clamping has been lacking.

Women were eligible to enroll in the study if they had no pregnancy complications, did not smoke, planned to breastfeed, and planned to deliver vaginally between 37 and 416/7 weeks. Women were enrolled prenatally on the labor and delivery unit. At birth, women were assigned to one of four cord clamping/milking groups. A cohort of infants with immediate cord clamping serves as reference group. Infants had blood samples drawn with the routine newborn screening blood samples done at 36 to 48 hours. Information on infant health and feeding was completed through an in-hospital visit to the mother and by home visit at two weeks of age. The primary outcome measures were placental residual blood volume and compliance with the various assigned cord clamping protocols. It was expected that infants with delayed cord clamping or cord milking would have less placental residual blood volume and that most providers would comply with the various random assignments.

Inclusion criteria

Women with normal pregnancy and presented at the labor room at 38-416/7 weeks for vaginal delivery; Intention to breast feed the babies; Consent for a follow up at 2 weeks of age

Exclusion criteria

Abnormal pregnancy: Gestational or pre-existing diabetes, smoking and substance abuse, pre-eclampsia, fetal abnormality