Early versus late clamping of the umbilical cord in full-term neonates

Background: optimal timing for clamping of the umbilical cord at birth is unclear. early cord clamping allows for immediate resuscitation of the newborn. late cord clamping may facilitate transfusion of blood between the placenta and the baby. aim: to compare the potential benefits and harms of early versus late cord clamping in term infants. methods: this randomized controlled trial study was carried out at bhatti international trust teaching hospital,lahore from 03-02-2014 to 04-09-2014. total 200 cases were selected and divided into two groups; group a (early cord clamping) while in group b (late cord clamping) techniques were applied. each group comprised of 100 patients. results: majority of the patients in both groups were recorded between 20-25 years i.e. 62% (n=31) in early and 54% (n=27) in delayed cord clamping group,the final outcome of the study was calculated,haematocrit levels was 46.88±3.08 in early and 53.42±3.92 in delayed group. statistically the difference was significant (p<0.05). conclusion: the benefits of term babies in late cord clamping seem to outweigh the risks of adverse outcomes,including neonatal jaundice requiring phototherapy than early cord clamping.