Reducing Iron Deficiency in Infants

Researchers are suggesting that a small change in how babies are treated immediately after birth could potentially help reduce the chances of iron deficiency in infants and increase comfort for doctors and mothers.

According to a study published in the peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet, delaying camping the umbilical cord of an infant until about two minutes after birth lowers the chances that the newborn will begin to exhibit an iron deficiency. However, holding the child in various ways during this delayed period did not affect the effectiveness of this preventative measure, the researchers behind the study noted.

Researchers determined this after measuring the chances of developing an iron deficiency in 391 newborns delivered at three university-affiliated hospitals in Argentina.

According to the study, 197 babies that underwent the delayed clamping procedure were held at the level of the mother's placenta poor to having their umbilical cords clamped. This is the position that current guidelines suggest a baby should be held, but critics say that the position can prove detrimental as it is uncomfortable for physicians and hampers immediate contact between baby and mother.

This lack of comfort could also unintentionally hasten the clamping procedure, reducing the amount of time the baby has to receive blood from their mother's placenta that carries the iron indispensable in preventing iron deficiency in newborns.

The other 194 of the newborns included in this study were placed directly on the mother's stomach or chest prior to the clamping procedure, ensuring comfort for doctors and mother.

Interestingly, the researchers found that the volume of blood that passes between baby and placenta within the recommended two minutes was nearly identical despite the differences in how the child was held. Chances of iron deficiency also did not chance among the children who underwent the delayed clamping procedure, regardless of which way they were held.

According to the authors of the study, their finds should encourage doctors to allow their patients to hold their children sooner.

"This change in practice might increase obstetric compliance with the procedure, enhance maternal-infant bonding, and decrease iron deficiency in infancy," authors of the study concluded.

The study was published in The Lancet on April 17.