Kazumasa Fuwa1, Natsuko Tabata2, Ryo Ogawa3, Nobuhiko Nagano4, Noyuri Yamaji5, Erika Ota5, Fumihiko Namba6. 1. Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Nihon University School of Medicine, Itabashi, Tokyo, 173-8610, Japan. fuwa.kazumasa@nihon-u.ac.jp. 2. Department of Neonatal Medicine, Osaka Women's and Children's Hospital, Izumi, Osaka, 594-1101, Japan. 3. Division of Neonatology, Nagano Children's Hospital, Azumino, Nagano, 399-8288, Japan. 4. Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Nihon University School of Medicine, Itabashi, Tokyo, 173-8610, Japan. 5. Global Health Nursing, Graduate School of Nursing Science, St. Luke's International University, Chuo, Tokyo, 104-0044, Japan. 6. Department of Pediatrics, Saitama Medical Center, Saitama Medical University, Kawagoe, Saitama, 350-8550, Japan.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Delayed cord clamping (DCC) is recommended for healthy term infants. However, the effectiveness of umbilical cord milking (UCM) in term infants remains unknown. The study aimed to compare the effects of UCM versus DCC on term infants. STUDY DESIGN: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted which included individual and clustered RCTs comparing UCM with DCC for infants born at ≥37 weeks of gestation. RESULTS: Three trials (650 term infants) were included. Compared with DCC, UCM was associated with higher hemoglobin levels at 6 weeks after birth [infants, 621; mean difference, 0.17; 95% confidence interval, 0.05-0.29] and had no statistical differences in hemoglobin levels at birth, serum bilirubin levels at 48 h after birth, or hematocrit levels at 48 h after birth. CONCLUSION: This study suggested that UCM might be as beneficial as DCC in term infants, however, further RCTs are required to accurately assess the outcomes.
OBJECTIVE: Delayed cord clamping (DCC) is recommended for healthy term infants. However, the effectiveness of umbilical cord milking (UCM) in term infants remains unknown. The study aimed to compare the effects of UCM versus DCC on term infants. STUDY DESIGN: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted which included individual and clustered RCTs comparing UCM with DCC for infants born at ≥37 weeks of gestation. RESULTS: Three trials (650 term infants) were included. Compared with DCC, UCM was associated with higher hemoglobin levels at 6 weeks after birth [infants, 621; mean difference, 0.17; 95% confidence interval, 0.05-0.29] and had no statistical differences in hemoglobin levels at birth, serum bilirubin levels at 48 h after birth, or hematocrit levels at 48 h after birth. CONCLUSION: This study suggested that UCM might be as beneficial as DCC in term infants, however, further RCTs are required to accurately assess the outcomes.