Delayed Cord Clamping Compared with Cord Milking in Preterm Neonates.

Chun,  Ji Young; Yoon,  Shin Ae; Kim,  Ji Sook; Ho,  Yo Han; Ahn,  So Yoon; Yoo,  Hye Soo; Sung,  Se In; Chang,  Yun Sil; Park,  Won Soon

doi:2016.23.2.74

Neonatal Med > Volume 23(2); 2016 > Article

Original Article

Neonatal Medicine 2016;23(2):74-80.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5385/nm.2016.23.2.74 Published online May 31, 2016.

Delayed Cord Clamping Compared with Cord Milking in Preterm Neonates.

Ji Young Chun, Shin Ae Yoon, Ji Sook Kim, Yo Han Ho, So Yoon Ahn, Hye Soo Yoo, Se In Sung, Yun Sil Chang, Won Soon Park

Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. sein.sung@samsung.com

Abstract

PURPOSE
To evaluate the safety and feasibility of delayed cord clamping compared with umbilical cord milking in premature infants less than 32 weeks of gestation.
METHODS
This study was performed by 1:2 case-control match. Infants received delayed cord clamping (DCC) for one minute (DCC group, n=10, May 2014-October 2015) were compared with perinatal factors-matching controls, who received umbilical cord milking (CM, CM group, n=20, May 2014-October 2015) or who received immediate cord clamping (ICC, ICC group, n=20, January 2008-December 2008). The primary outcome was hematocrit during the first 28 days. Secondary outcomes included delivery room management, selected neonatal morbidities and mortality.
RESULTS
Baseline characteristics were comparable in all the three groups. The median hematocrit level at 1st day and 3rd day was significantly higher in the DCC group (54.3±6.2%, 53.6±5.6%) as compared with the CM group (48.0±7.7%, 43.2±7.8%) or ICC group (47.2±7.5%, 45.8±6.3%). The DCC group had reductions in red blood cell transfusion within the first two weeks of life compared to the CM group (10% vs. 50%, P=0.03). The DCC group compared to the CM group had no increment in respiratory intervention in the delivery room and hypothermia on admission. There was no difference between DCC and CM in mortality, intraventricular hemorrhage, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis, severe retinopathy of prematurity and sepsis.
CONCLUSION
Delayed cord clamping for 1 minute in preterm infants may be a safe and feasible method to increase initial hematocrit and reduce transfusion compared with umbilical cord milking.

Key Words: Delayed cord clamping; Umbilical cord milking; Preterm infants