Rubber ring clamping of the umbilical cord: a randomized trial

A randomized trial to compare two methods of umbilical cord tying in neonates, immediately after birth, was undertaken from February to April 1997 in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Zewditu Memorial Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In less than 3 months, we investigated 300 neonates, of whom 150 infants were randomly assigned to the traditional ligation of the umbilical cord (using a piece of thread) and the rest to a rubber ring clamping method. Among the former group, 13.3% (20/150) of the neonates bled from their umbilical cords which necessitated re-tying, whereas in the later group, there was no sign of haemorrhage or infection within 12 h of clamping. We suggest that the rubber ring method described is a superior procedure and can easily replace the traditional, cumbersome and time-consuming umbilical cord ligation.