Benefits of delayed cord clamping for preterm infants

Delayed rather than immediate umbilical cord clamping is beneficial for all newborn, both term and preterm.
Delayed umbilical cord clamping in preterm infants is of special importance. It reduces the risk of intraventricular haemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis and late-onset sepsis; it decreases the requirements for surfactant, mechanical ventilation and blood transfusions and increases the levels of cerebral oxygenation and blood pressure. It also increases hemoglobin and hematocrit levels. All of these effects are both immediate and long term, at 10 months of life. All these effects can improve the neurodevelopment of these children.