A Kinder Cut

A baby's umbilical cord is usually cut within seconds of birth. But is that too soon? A review of fifteen studies involving nearly 2,000 newborns found that waiting a couple minutes to cut appears to boost iron levels and decrease the risk of anemia, which can have serious long-term developmental effects:

Anemia results when there are too few red blood cells in the bloodstream, so that not enough oxygen reaches tissues and organs. Studies have found that children treated for iron-deficiency anemia as infants have lower IQ scores and motor skills at age five, and do poorer in reading, writing and math when they're older.

"Anemia might mean that the babies don't thrive as well. It could have a long-term impact on development and could possibly contribute to infections in newborns," says Dr. Susan Harris, head of the department of family practice at BC Women's Hospital, the largest maternity hospital in the country.

Babies benefit when cutting of umbilical cord delayed [Canada.com]