Delayed umbilical cord clamping is associated with significant neonatal benefits in preterm infants, including improved transitional circulation, better establishment of red blood cell volume, decreased need for blood transfusion, and lower incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis and intraventricular hemorrhage.

Is Delayed cord clamping good or bad?

For the infant, there is growing evidence that delayed cord clamping is beneficial and can improve the iron status for up to six months after birth. This may be particularly relevant for infants living in low-resource settings with less access to iron-rich foods.

Why would you want the doctor to delay clamping the umbilical cord?

Delaying the clamping of the cord allows more blood to transfer from the placenta to the infant, sometimes increasing the infant's blood volume by up to a third. The iron in the blood increases infants' iron storage, and iron is essential for healthy brain development.