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Umbilical cord milking at birth for term newborns with acidosis: neonatal outcomes
Anup Katheria1, Judith Mercer2,3, Melissa Brown4
1Neonatal Research Institute at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women and Newborns, San Diego, CA, USA. anup.katheria@sharp.com.
Objective:
To determine if umbilical cord milking is detrimental in compromised term/near-term infants.
Study Design:
A retrospective analysis of infants with abnormal cord gases (cord arterial or venous pH of ≤ 7.1 or base deficit > -12). We collected maternal risk factors, cord management, birth, and neonatal outcomes during hospitalization.
Result:
We found 157 infants who met the criteria for abnormal cord gases. Thirty-six of those had umbilical cord milking at delivery. There was no significant difference in neonatal outcomes, but fewer infants in the cord milking group needed resuscitation (38 vs. 56%, p = 0.07) and ongoing respiratory support (19 vs. 31%, p = 0.16) compared to the immediate clamping group.
Conclusions:
While not significant, infants who received cord milking at birth needed less resuscitation and ongoing respiratory support. This study suggests that umbilical cord milking appears to be a safe therapy when acidosis is present and when resuscitation is needed.
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