Delayed versus Early Umbilical Cord Clamping in Preterm Multiple Gestation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Am J PerinatolApr 21, 2026 (epub)
Umesh Sharma, Anitha Ananthan, Haribalakrishna Balasubramanian et al.
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In 30 seconds
This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of delayed cord clamping (DCC) versus early cord clamping (ECC) in 155 preterm infants from multiple gestations. The study found that DCC significantly increased hematocrit levels at both 6 hours (61.9 ± 5.5 vs. 55.8 ± 5.3, p < 0.001) and 6 weeks of age compared to ECC, while also noting a trend towards higher bilirubin levels in the DCC group.
Key findings
- DCC resulted in a mean hematocrit of 61.9 ± 5.5 at 6 hours compared to 55.8 ± 5.3 in the ECC group.
- At 6 weeks, hematocrit was 55.5 ± 3.8 in the DCC group versus 49.6 ± 4.5 in the ECC group.
- DCC infants had a prolonged duration of phototherapy (93.6 ± 32.8 hours vs. 61.4 ± 38.6 hours, p < 0.001).
- Mortality was 7.5% in the DCC group and 11% in the ECC group.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that DCC can improve hematocrit levels in preterm infants from multiple gestations, which may influence clinical practices regarding cord clamping timing in this vulnerable population.