The umbilical cord connected the mother and the baby almost throughout her pregnancy, but after giving birth it's time to say goodbye to her. How is the umbilical cord cut? Who and when cuts the umbilical cord? Is it painful for a child to cut the umbilical cord?
Severing the umbilical cordtraditionally belonged to the midwife, but nowadays it is more and more often done by the baby's father. But of course it does not have to, if he is not convinced. The umbilical cord has a slight resistance when it is cut. Some fathers are concerned thatcutting the umbilical cordcauses pain to the baby, but the umbilical cord is not innervated, so cutting it does not cause any pain in the newborn.
What does an umbilical cut look like?
Immediately after birth, a newborn is placed on the stomach or between its mother's breasts. This is a special moment, because one end of the umbilical cord is already outside, and the other - still inside (the umbilical cord is usually 50-60 cm long). Such a fresh, pulsating umbilical cord is as stiff as a rubber hose filled with water, because the blood flowing under pressure through the blood vessels keeps it tight. In addition, the vessels in the umbilical cord are surrounded by a mucilaginous substance called Wharton's jelly, which is supposed to additionally protect against tightening and the formation of knots ( although they form in 15% of fetuses anyway - usually, however, delivery takes place without disruptions).
After delivery, blood flow through the umbilical cord stops, and Wharton's jelly swells when exposed to cold air, compressing the umbilical vessels until they are completely closed. In the past, after a baby was born, the umbilical cord remained intact until the placenta was born. The custom of cutting it and ligating it dates back to the 17th century. Currently, the umbilical cord is cut at a distance of about 3-4 cm from the abdomen - first, special plastic staples are placed in two places, and then a cut with surgical scissors is made between them.
In pregnancy, the umbilical cord is the only direct connection between the mother (and specifically her uterus) and the fetus. There are blood vessels (two arteries and a vein) running through the umbilical cord, through which the mother's body supplies the baby with all the nutrients and oxygen it needs for life. For this reason, the umbilical cord has become a symbol of an extremely strong bond, even a dependence - also psychologically - between the child and the parents. Ifhowever, the symbolic umbilical cord may function for several dozen years, the organic one is no longer needed shortly after the birth of a child and is cut.
When is the umbilical cord cut?
The most controversial issue is the time that should elapse from the moment the baby is extracted to the umbilical cord being cut. For many years, hospitals used the principle that the umbilical cord should be cut as soon as possible, sometimes it was done 20-30 seconds after the baby was born. The staff is in a hurry, because they want to quickly pick up the baby and subject him to a series of tests and measurements. Although textbooks of obstetrics recommend waiting for the umbilical cord to stop pulsating before clamping and cutting it, but this is not a precise criterion, as it is often based on the subjective feelings of midwives. In Poland, as in many other countries, there are no specific guidelines in this regard, as a result, the average time from birth to the umbilical cord is cut from 30 seconds to a minute.
Better wait after cutting the umbilical cord?
Today, however, more and more researchers and midwives are leaning towards the idea that it is too early: wait for at least 2-3 minutes to undo (unless the child requires urgent intervention). They argue that if the umbilical cord is cut a few minutes later, more cord blood flows into the baby's body, which is rich in nutrients and stem cells. Iron is a particularly valuable component of the blood, the deficiency of which causes anemia. A number of clinical studies show that delaying cord clamping helps prevent anemia. A study published in the medical monthly "Lancet" (June 2006) showed that if the clamping of the cord is delayed by just 2 minutes, the iron stores in the child's body will increase by 27-47 mg, and this amount will meet the baby's needs for one to two months ! Other studies show that the risk of anemia decreased by as much as 33% among children who are late released.
And Dr. Paul Sanberg of the University of South Florida believes that umbilical cord blood contains so many valuable stem cells that subsequent dementia can be compared to "primary stem cell transplantation." And this can protect the child against many diseases, including chronic pneumonia, cerebral hemorrhage, sepsis and eye disease.
Cord blood banks
Since blood from the umbilical cord is a source of stem cells, which medicine has high hopes for - it is becoming more and more popular to collect it after delivery (at the parents' request) and store it in the so-called cord blood banks (against payment). Thanks to this, inin the future, if the child becomes seriously ill (eg from leukemia), these valuable cells can be used in therapy. For now, however, this is not so much a practice as an expression of people's hopes: stem cell treatments are still at the stage of research and experimentation.
ImportantLotus childbirth: umbilical cords are not cut off at all
This is a labor during which the umbilical cord is not cut at all - it detaches itself from the placenta within 3-8 days. The bearing is washed, covered with a mixture of s alt and herbs, and wrapped in gauze or hung in a special strainer. Advocates believe that this allows the baby to separate from its mother gradually, gently - it is time for all the life energy (or soul) to flow into it from the placenta. Doctors are rather skeptical about this, because they believe that it may contribute to an increase in the number of infections.
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