Delayed Cord Clamping & Cord Blood Banking: Pros and Cons
Delayed cord clamping is when your doctor waits to clamp and cut a newborn baby’s umbilical cord, as opposed to almost immediately clamping. While delayed clamping can provide numerous benefits to the baby, you may also be wondering if it’s better to collect the cord blood for banking. However, this isn’t an either/or decision as there are many delayed cord cutting pros and cons. When it comes to umbilical cord blood, you can have the best of both worlds.
The Pros of Delayed Cord Clamping
According to the American Pregnancy Association, there are many benefits of waiting to cut the umbilical cord, especially in preterm infants :
- An increase in placental transfusion
- 30% increase in neonatal blood volume
- 60% increase of red blood cells
- Decreased risk of iron deficiency in anemia
- Improved transition from life in the womb
The Cons of Delayed Cord Clamping
There are also a few concerns when dealing with delayed cord clamping. When considering delayed clamping, your baby could be at risk of developing the following conditions:
- Polycythemia
- Hyperbilirubinemia
- Respiratory Distress
While there is no significant evidence regarding blood loss, some health professionals are concerned that delayed cord clamping can cause an increase in postpartum hemorrhage for the mother, as well.
Cord Blood & Cord Tissue Banking
After your baby is born, stem cells from the blood and tissue of the umbilical cord can be collected and saved for potential future treatment of over 80 diseases, including certain types of blood disorders, immune disorders, cancers, and genetic diseases. In recent years, uses for cord blood have grown, and it's now being used in clinical trials for autism, cerebral palsy, and Covid-19. Not only does your baby's cord blood have amazing potential for treating disease, but their cord tissue does too!
Cord Tissue stem cells have the unique ability to divide, regenerate, and differentiate into a wide range of other cell types. There is great potential for treatments using umbilical cord stem cells in conditions such as Parkinson's, Sports Injuries, and Type 1 Diabetes. Since 2007, there have been over 100 clinical trials using cord tissue stem cells. Researchers are using cord tissue stem cells in potential treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer's, liver fibrosis, and lung cancer.
Can you do both Delayed Cord Clamping &
Cord Blood Banking?
The short answer? Absolutely!
AlphaCord works with several healthcare professionals and clients who choose to do both successfully. Many delayed cord clamping supporters will say that doing both delayed cord clamping and cord blood banking isn't possible. However, there is approximately 200 milliliters of blood in the placenta and umbilical cord.
According to the World Health Organization, delayed cord clamping is recommended to last for about 1 minute. This transfers about 80-100 milliliters of blood into the baby while leaving plenty of blood for cord blood banking. Most cord blood banks have a minimum size requirement for storage of cord blood donations.
Although there are many delayed cord cutting pros and cons, it’s important to know the facts. When cord clamping is delayed beyond 60 seconds, the volume of cord blood collected drops significantly. So it’s important to delay cord clamping between 30 and 45 seconds to get the most benefit for your baby while still being able to collect enough cord blood for banking.
GIVE YOUR BABY EVERY ADVANTAGE
Is cord blood & cord tissue worth it?
Of course it is! Preserving your baby’s cord blood and cord tissue can protect and enhance your baby’s life. There are costs involved with banking your baby's cord blood and cord tissue, but you're making a great investment in the life of your child by doing so.
Your baby is a 100% match to their own stem cells. Their cells can be used to treat certain non-genetic diseases and cancers. Treatments using a family member's cells can be twice as successful as treatments for a non-relative or donor.
For families considering preserving the stem cells from their baby's cord blood and tissue with AlphaCord, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Get the AlphaCord advantage with our Five Chamber Bag. This bag allows you to collect up to 5x more cord blood. It even allows family members up to five different stem cell treatments.
See More InfoFREE - Newborn Stem Cell Banking Information Kit ♡
THE CONTENT OF THIS ARTICLE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. It is intended for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. If you have a medical emergency or question, immediately call your doctor or dial 911 for assistance.
