Birth Plan Detail

When Did Cord Cutting Right After Birth Start?

Jul 06, 2022

Cutting the umbilical cord goes back to the beginning of time. A baby couldn’t be connected to the cord for days after birth!

The big debate these days is WHEN to cut the cord. Do you cut it immediately after the baby is born or do you wait? Moms these days ask if the baby really needs it immediately after birth.

Cord cutting 10 to 15 seconds right after birth became popular around the mid-1900s in:

U.S.
Tanzania
China
Ethiopia
Bangladesh
Egypt

This time frame may have corresponded to the time when the medical association was taking over the field of birthing and booting out the midwives. The midwives knew the truth; the doctors did not.

When the cord cutting is delayed up to 3 minutes, the baby is less likely to be anemic with higher iron stores at 4 to 6 months.

At 6 months, babies with delayed cord clamping have 88% more iron than those who had the cords cut immediately.