Time of cord clamping and neonatal complications, a prospective study

Abstract Objective To assess the effects of early or late clamping of the umbilical cord in at-term newborns, assessing the levels of hemoglobin, hematocrit, and ferritin, and their correlation with some of the complications. Patients and methods A prospective study of healthy newborns at term or born by dystotic or eutocic delivery in our hospital between May 2009 and May 2010. Patients were assigned according to the time of clamping, group 1 ( Results A total of 242 patients were included: group 1 (g1 = 80), group 2 (g2 = 31) and group 3 (g3 = 131). The background maternal and neonatal characteristics were similar in all sets. The first test showed significant differences in ferritin levels in those infants with delayed clamping (g1: 111 mg/dl, g2: 125 mg/dl, g3: 173 mg/dl; p p p p  = 0.008) were statistically higher in this group. As regards complications, a significant increase was observed in the number of cases of polycythemia symptoms in group 3. Conclusions The late cord clamping is associated with an increase in hematocrit, hemoglobin and ferritin at 48 h of life, as well as an increased risk of polycythemia present with symptoms.