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. 2019 Sep 17;2019(9):CD003248. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003248.pub4

Smith 2014.

Trial name or title Delayed clamping and milking the umbilical cord in preterm infants
Methods Randomised controlled trial
Participants Inclusion criteria
  • Preterm infants less 34 weeks

  • Aiming for 240 babies


Exclusion criteria
  • Known congenital anomalies; precipitous delivery preventing completion of the protocol; placental abruption around the time of or as indication for delivery; mother has uterine rupture; non reassuring fetal heart tracing (FHT) immediately prior/leading to delivery; multiple gestation; Parvo B19; infants known to be at risk of anaemia due to isoimmunisation (mother has red blood cell antibodies.

Interventions Intervention: DCC
  • Cord clamped at 30 secs.

  • Infant held at or below level of perineum (vaginal delivery) or incision (caesarean delivery).

  • Exceptions: Placental separation, cord stops pulsating, need for immediate resuscitation, all would result in clamping prior to 30 seconds.


Comparator: UCM
  • Infant held and the cord is milked from perineum to infant 4 times.

  • Infant held at or below level of perineum (vaginal delivery) or incision (caesarean delivery).

Outcomes Primary
  • Hb and Hct values (H/H) in NICU (time frame: NICU admission to discharge, expected average of 50 days) (Designated as safety issue: no). All H/H values in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) will be recorded.


Secondary
  • Neonatal transfusions; NEC; intraventricular haemorrhage; length of stay; survival to discharge

Starting date March 2014 to March 2015
Contact information Kathleen Smith
Notes