Placental cord drainage in the third stage of labor: Randomized clinical trial.

Methods: An open randomized clinical trial was developed at Instituto de Medicina Integral Prof. Fernando Figueira (IMIP) in Recife and at Petronila Campos Municipal Hospital in São Lourenço da Mata, both in Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil, including 226 low-risk pregnant women bearing a single, full-term, live fetus after delayed cord clamping, 113 randomized to placental cord drainage and 113 to a control group not submitted to this procedure. Women incapable of understanding the study objectives and those who went on to have an instrumental or cesarean delivery were excluded.