Comparison of three types of intervention to enhance placental redistribution in term newborns: randomized control trial

Abstract

Objective: To compare the effect of combined delayed cord clamping and umbilical cord milking to either of them had done alone, on hematological parameters at 6 weeks of age in term neonates.

Study design: It was a randomized controlled trial, conducted during January to December 2014. Three hundred eligible neonates were randomly allocated to three parallel groups. Primary outcome was hemoglobin and serum ferritin at 6 weeks of age. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis test.

Results: Baseline characteristics and hemodynamic parameters were comparable in all the three groups. The median serum ferritin level at 6 weeks was significantly higher in the group receiving both delayed cord clamping and milking the cut cord group (295.49 (233.5 to 346.54) ng ml(-1)) as compared with the group that received only milking of the cut cord (184.55 (131.22 to 256.5) ng ml(-1)) or only delayed cord clamping (268.8 (189.4 to 315.44) ng ml(-1)).

Conclusion: Delayed cord clamping with milking the cut cord improved iron stores at 6 weeks of age in term infants, then either of the two interventions alone.