The effectiveness of umbilical cord milking/ delayed cord clamping and recombinant human erythropoietin in reducing red blood cell transfusions in extremely and very low birth weight infants

Anemia of prematurity is one of the most common and serious problems of neonatology. The main focus is to prevent of anemia in preterm infants. The aim of the study was to assess effectiveness of umbilical cord milking/delayed cord clamping and erythropoietin therapy in reducing red blood cell transfusions in extremely and very low birth weight infants. This clinical study was approved by the Commission on ethics of biomedical research (Protocol No. 12 November 17, 2016) and approved by the Scientific Council of National Medical Research Center for obstetrics, gynecology and perinatology named academician V.I. Kulakov of the ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation (Protocol No. 19 of November 29, 2016). Analysis of 482 extremely and very low birth weight infants was conducted (from 2008 to 2018). Umbilical cord milking or delayed umbilical cord clamping, both, and in combination with recombinant human erythropoietin therapy, decreasing the phlebotomy losses significantly reduces the need for transfusions of red blood cells in extremely and very low birth weight infants. The effectiveness of erythropoietin therapy, time of its start and various treatment schemes remain controversial, therefore further researches are necessary.

Effect of Umbilical Cord Milking on Severity of Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy in Asphyxiated Neonates A Pilot study

Background: The present study was aimed to evaluate the effect of umbilical cord milking technique on severity of Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) in asphyxiated neonates and assessed by Modified Sarnats staging as primary outcome, APGAR score at 5 minutes and Respiratory support requirement as secondary outcome. Methods: This was a randomized, controlled pilot study conducted in neonatology department at a tertiary care centre, Thrissur, Kerala. The neonates were divided into two groups non milking group, control (n=38) and umbilical cord milking, case [UCM] (n=32) and their outcomes were compared. In the intervention group, the cord was cut at 30 cm from umbilical stump within 30 seconds of birth and euthermia was maintained. The umbilical cord was raised and milked from the cut end towards the infant 3 times with speed at 10 cm/sec and then clamped 2 to 3 cm from the umbilical stump. In the control group, the umbilical cord was clamped without doing cord milking. Results: In this study moderate to severe HIE were less in case group 46.9 % than control group 55.1% and less neonates 44.7 % had Mild HIE in control group compared to case group 53.1% even though result was statistically not significant as primary outcome (p value not significant). Eight neonates (21.6%) in control group had Apgar at 5 min score 0 to 3, whereas only 4 (12.5%) neonates in cord milking group. Conclusions: The insufficient knowledge of placental transfusion limits and benefits leads to a wide variation in the management of cord clamping. It would be useful to standardise the UCM procedure in order to offer protocols applicable to clinical practice, and to spread knowledge among professionals through educational programs.