Objective: We evaluated whether intact umbilical cord milking (UCM) is more effective than immediate cord clamping (ICC) in enhancing placental transfusion after elective cesarean delivery.
Study design: In a randomized trial, volume of placental transfusion was assessed by Δ hematocrit (Hct) between neonatal cord blood and capillary heel blood at 48 hours of age, corrected for the change in body weight.
Results: There were no significant differences in cord blood mean Hct values at birth (UCM, 44.5 ± 4.8 vs. ICC, 44.9 ± 4.2%, p = 0.74). Conversely, at 48 hours of age, the UCM group had significantly higher capillary heel Hct values (UCM, 53.7 ± 5.9 vs. ICC, 49.8 ± 4.6%, p < 0.001), supporting a higher placental transfusion volume (Δ Hct, UCM 9.2 ± 5.2 vs. ICC 4.8 ± 4.7, p < 0.001), despite comparable neonatal body weight decrease (UCM, -7.3 vs. ICC, -6.8%, p = 0.77).
Conclusion: Higher Δ Hct between cord blood at birth and capillary heel blood at 48 hours of age, corrected for the change in body weight, suggests that intact UCM is an efficacious and safe procedure to enhance placental transfusion among neonates born via elective cesarean delivery.
Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03668782.
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