Impact of early versus delayed umbilical cord clamping on term neonates' haemoglobin levels: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To compare the effects of early and delayed cord clamping on the haemoglobin levels of neonates delivered at term.

Methods: This randomized controlled trial enrolled pregnant women during the second stage of labour. They were randomized into either the early cord clamping (ECC) group or the delayed cord clamping (DCC) group in the ratio of 1:1. Following delivery of the baby, the umbilical cords of participants in the ECC group were clamped within 30 s of delivery of the neonate while those of participants in the DCC group were clamped after 2 min from the delivery of the neonate. The primary outcome measure was the effect of ECC and DCC on the haemoglobin levels of neonates delivered at term.

Results: A total of 270 pregnant women were enrolled in the study. Their baseline sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were similar in both groups. There was no significant difference in the mean haemoglobin level between ECC and DCC groups at birth. The mean haemoglobin level of the neonates at 48 h postpartum was significantly higher in the DCC group than the ECC group.

Conclusion: DCC at birth was associated with a significant increase in neonatal haemoglobin levels at 48 h postpartum when compared with ECC. The trial was registered at Pan African Clinical Trial Registry with approval number PACTR202206735622089.