Cut the Cord
General hospital-based obstetric practice introduces artificial clamping as early as 1 minute after the birth of the child. In birthing centers, this may be delayed by 5 minutes or more, or omitted entirely. Clamping is followed by cutting of the cord, which is painless due to the lack of any nerves. The cord is extremely tough, like thick sinew, and so cutting it requires a suitably sharp instrument. Provided that umbilical severance occurs after the cord has stopped pulsing (5–20 minutes after birth), there is ordinarily no significant loss of either venous or arterial blood while cutting the cord.
There are umbilical cord clamps which combine the cord clamps with the knife. These clamps are safer and faster, allowing one to first apply the cord clamp and then cut the umbilical cord. After the cord is clamped and cut, the newborn wears a plastic clip on the navel area until the compressed region of the cord has dried and sealed sufficiently.
The length of umbilical that remains attached to the newborn varies depending on where they were born. In most hospital settings the length of cord left attached after clamping and cutting is minimal. In some counties in the United States, however, where the birth occurred outside of the hospital and anEmergency medical technician (EMT) clamps and cuts the cord they will leave a longer segment, up to 7 inches in length, attached to the newborn.
The remaining umbilical stub remains for up to 7–10 days as it dries and then falls off.
There are umbilical cord clamps which combine the cord clamps with the knife. These clamps are safer and faster, allowing one to first apply the cord clamp and then cut the umbilical cord. After the cord is clamped and cut, the newborn wears a plastic clip on the navel area until the compressed region of the cord has dried and sealed sufficiently.
The length of umbilical that remains attached to the newborn varies depending on where they were born. In most hospital settings the length of cord left attached after clamping and cutting is minimal. In some counties in the United States, however, where the birth occurred outside of the hospital and anEmergency medical technician (EMT) clamps and cuts the cord they will leave a longer segment, up to 7 inches in length, attached to the newborn.
The remaining umbilical stub remains for up to 7–10 days as it dries and then falls off.