Delay in Cord Clamping Research Assignment Paper (Essay Sample)

Delay in Cord Clamping
Name
Institution
Delay in Cord Clamping
Delay in cord clamping occurs when the umbilical cord is only cut after pulsations come to an end and the placenta is delivered. This is approximately three minutes after birth. More parents are opting for delayed cord clamping after adequate research proves that it greatly impacts the health and growth of an infant. Significances of the practice include reduced chances of iron deficiency or anaemia in the infant since the baby is provided with adequate red blood cells. In addition, the practice improves neurodevelopmental outcomes and reduces the need for blood transfusion in the infant. This occurs due to the allocation of enough time for placental blood transfer to occur. Delayed cord clamping also provides an essential life support in the case of premature babies. This is made possible by the fact that the practice enables transfer of oxygen to the infant hence improving immune cells, preventing organ damage, injuries to the brain and death. Delayed cord clamping has therefore significantly improved childbirth.
The Implementation of the practice has greatly impacted nursing practices. New practices are being developed to improve the practice of delayed cord clamping. The main evidence-based practice implemented is the somersault manoeuvre. It includes clamping of the cord after the delivery of the shoulders which increases the time for the infant to regain blood cells and haemoglobin from the placenta.
Summary of Findings from Literature Review
Journal 1
Birth weight and haemoglobin levels in the case of delayed clamping were significantly higher than in that of early clamping. Infants subjected to early cord clamping also displayed a higher risk of iron deficiency between the ages of three to six months. Jaundice phototherapy was required for infants in the case of cord clamping being delayed (Middleton, Dowswell, McDonald, & Morris, 2014). There existed no significant difference between the cases of maternal deaths or the outcome of maternal haemorrhage.
One of the major evidence-based nursing practices is the somersault manoeuvre. This was developed after a discovery was made concerning the dangers of clamping the cord before the shoulders are delivered. During this process, the head of the infant is kept near the perineum to reduce the grip on the cord during delivery. As a result, the infant is able to get more blood from the placenta.
Proper timing of when to clamp the cord is essential for the health of the mother and the infant. Variation of this timing mainly relies on clinic policies and practices. Significant benefits of delayed clamping include the reduced risk of anaemia in infants, higher birth weight and increased levels of haemoglobin. The possible risk of jaundice caused by delayed clamping should also be taken into consideration.
Journal 2
The need for blood transfusion in infants is lower in the case of delayed clamping of the cord. Also noted is a substantial rise in haemoglobin levels and a decrease in the occurrence of intraventricular haemorrhage after cord clamping is delayed in comparison to where the cord is clamped early. There are no recorded maternal or neonatal risks.
Nursing practices make a huge contribution to reduction of occurrence of cases of maternal death, stillbirths and infant death (Brocato, Holliday, Whitehurst, Lewis & Varner, 2016). Studies prove that there is reduced harm to a fully developed infant even if clamping of the cord is delayed by up to ten minutes provided that the newborn is positioned below the perineum. Nurses recommend the somersault manoeuvre which states that the nuchal cord should not be clamped before the shoulders are delivered.
Delayed cord clamping, from this study, has proven to have a lot of benefits. These include the improvement of an infant’s health and reduced postpartum haemorrhaging in the mother. More study should be done to determine the ideal time to have the cord clamped.
A key advantage in the somersault manoeuvre to delayed cord clamping is that it makes it possible to delay the clamping for up to ten minutes as opposed to the usual three minutes. The infant is able to recover red blood cells from the placenta within this time which consequentially reduces the risk of anaemia (Kluwer, 2017). Haemoglobin levels in the infant also increase which results in improvement of the immune system. Another consequence of delayed cord clamping is the reduced postpartum haemorrhaging in the mother. This reduces the chances of maternal death.
A number of risks are involved in failure to use the somersault manoeuvre during childbirth involving delayed cord clamping. This is due to the fact that other procedures may fail to provide adequate time for the infant to regain blood cells from the placenta. One major disadvantage of failure to use the somersault manoeuvre is neurological harm which may occur from clamping of the nuchal cord before delivery of the shoulders (Mercer, Owens, Graves, Haley, 2017). Other procedures may also increase the risk of mother’s haemorrhaging hence maternal death.
Various strategies can be used to spread the use of somersault manoeuvre in the practice of delayed cord clamping. Organising seminars for professionals involved in childbirth would go a long way in implementing the use of the procedure. Talks on the advantages and disadvantages of somersault manoeuvre would spread the use of the procedure. Moreover, offering education to the immediate family members of the patients as well as the patients on the benefits of cord clamping delay together with the safety associated with somersault manoeuvre would encourage more patients to opt for the procedure.
Communicating the importance of the somersault manoeuvre procedure can majorly be done by comparing different cases in the practice. Selecting a case sample and following through it gives a chance to compare the effects of different procedures. It also gives colleagues the opportunity to get a better understanding of the benefits and risks involved in the procedure and consequentially spread the use of somersault manoeuvre during practice of delayed cord clamping.
Implementation the use of somersault manoeuvre can be made possible through changes in clinic policies and practices (Coggins & Mercer, 2009). Making the management of health institutions understand the advantages of the use of the somersault manoeuvre for the safety of patients is the most effective strategy to implement application of the procedure in the general practice of childbirth involving delayed cord clamping.
Understanding the reasons for concerns and opposition is paramount to dealing with it. This helps to come up with the methods of dealing with the resistance to ...