Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2017 Nov;60(6):527-534.
doi: 10.5468/ogs.2017.60.6.527. Epub 2017 Oct 11.

Safety of umbilical cord milking in very preterm neonates: a randomized controlled study

Soo-Youn Song  1 , Youjin Kim  1 , Byung-Hun Kang  1 , Heon-Jong Yoo  1 , Mina Lee  1
Affiliations

Safety of umbilical cord milking in very preterm neonates: a randomized controlled study

Soo-Youn Song et al. Obstet Gynecol Sci. 2017 Nov.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the safety of umbilical cord milking on both the mother and neonate among very preterm deliveries of less than 33 weeks of gestation.

Methods: Pregnant women who were expected to deliver at between 24 0/7 and 32 6/7 weeks of gestation were randomized to either the umbilical cord milking or immediate cord clamping group. Maternal and neonatal data associated with delivery, in addition to neonatal morbidity and mortality data, were collected and analyzed.

Results: Of the 66 preterm deliveries included in the study, 34 were randomized into the milking and 32 into the clamping group. Differences between maternal pre- and post-partum hemoglobin levels were 1.35 g/dL in the milking and 1.58 g/dL in the clamping group (P=0.451). Neonatal Apgar scores at both 1 and 5 minutes, initial blood gas analysis results, body temperature at admission, need for early intubation, and maximum bilirubin levels were all similar between the 2 groups. However, neonatal hemoglobin levels at birth (15.79 vs. 14.69 g/dL; P<0.05) and at 24 hours of age (14.83 vs. 13.29 g/dL; P<0.05) were significantly higher in the milking group. Neonates in the clamping group required more blood transfusion (1.78 vs. 0.93; P=0.049), and a higher percentage of neonates in the clamping group required inotropic drugs (63% vs. 29%; P=0.007). The mortality rate was significantly lower in the milking group (6% vs. 28%; P=0.015).

Conclusion: Umbilical cord milking can be a safe and beneficial procedure for both the mother and the neonate in deliveries of less than 33 weeks of gestation.

Keywords: Anemia, neonatal; Fetomaternal transfusion; Infant, premature.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Survival of preterm infants in milking and clamping group.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Strauss RG, Mock DM, Johnson KJ, Cress GA, Burmeister LF, Zimmerman MB, et al. A randomized clinical trial comparing immediate versus delayed clamping of the umbilical cord in preterm infants: short-term clinical and laboratory endpoints. Transfusion. 2008;48:658–665. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sommers R, Stonestreet BS, Oh W, Laptook A, Yanowitz TD, Raker C, et al. Hemodynamic effects of delayed cord clamping in premature infants. Pediatrics. 2012;129:e667–e672. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kinmond S, Aitchison TC, Holland BM, Jones JG, Turner TL, Wardrop CA. Umbilical cord clamping and preterm infants: a randomised trial. BMJ. 1993;306:172–175. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Rabe H, Diaz-Rossello JL, Duley L, Dowswell T. Effect of timing of umbilical cord clamping and other strategies to influence placental transfusion at preterm birth on maternal and infant outcomes. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012:CD003248. - PubMed
    1. Mercer JS, Vohr BR, McGrath MM, Padbury JF, Wallach M, Oh W. Delayed cord clamping in very preterm infants reduces the incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage and late-onset sepsis: a randomized, controlled trial. Pediatrics. 2006;117:1235–1242. - PMC - PubMed