The Dangerous Practice of Early Clamping of the Umbilical Cord
"Another thing very injurious to the child, is the tying and cutting of the navel string too soon; which should always be left till the child has not only repeatedly breathed but till all pulsation in the cord ceases. As otherwise the child is much weaker than it ought to be, a portion of the blood being left in the placenta, which ought to have been in the child."
Open Letter to President George W. Bush
- Dr. Eileen Nicole Simon writes to
the President in support of Congressman Dan Burton's request for a
White House Conference on childhood autism and discusses how best to
investigate its epidemic increase.
Immediate Cord Clamping Causes Autism
Researchers to present evidence at prestigious autism conference. See the full report HERE.
Autism 'more likely' in c-sections
- Women who experience difficult
births or deliver their babies by caesarean section are more likely
to have an autistic child than women who had normal births,
according to the largest study of its kind ever undertaken.
[Editor's Note: While there is almost certainly a connection between
C-Sections and Autism, we STRONGLY disagree with the author's
conclusions as to WHYthis association exists.]Current Best Evidence: A Review Of The Literature On Umbilical Cord Clamping - Judith S. Mercer (J Midwifery Womens Health 2001 Nov-Dec;46(6):402-14) CLICK HERE for the full-text paper (PDF file).
A Cord of Prevention (cover story from "Advance for Nurses" - August 5, 2002 - PDF file) - This cover featured article discusses the important ongoing work of researcher Judith Mercer, CNM.
Brainstem Lesions In Autism: Birth Asphyxia As A Causative Factor by Eileen Nicole Simon and George Malcolm Morley - The authors propose that the increased incidence of autism, infant anemia, childhood mental disorders and hypoxic ischemic brain damage, all originate at birth from one cause - immediate umbilical cord clamping at birth. (This abstract was accepted for presentation at the upcoming IMFAR conference [International Meeting for Autism Research] November 1, 2002 in Orlando, Florida.)
How the Cord Clamp Injures Your Baby’s Brain by Dr. George Malcolm Morley - This very long article describes how the placenta and functioning cord prepare the child for healthy life in the minutes following birth, and how early cord clamping disrupts this process; many of the birth injuries caused by loss of blood (hypovolemia) and lack of oxygen (hypoxia) due to early cord clamping are discussed.
Erasmus Darwin: The Physiology and Iatrogenic Pathology of the Third Stage by Dr. George Malcolm Morley - This is an article for practicing obstetricians and midwives outside of academia; it is a short history of how panicked defensive medicine started the cord clamping error and how many false premises have compounded it and prevented its correction.
The Peter Dunn collection - Here is a collection of papers, dating back more than 35 years, dealing with cord clamping by Peter Dunn, MD, one of the most well-respected neonatal authorities in the world.
In the mountains of truth you never climb in vain. - Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)
Review of
the Scientific Literature -
In this new section of the website, we will be posting responses to
recently published papers in the scientific literature. Feel free to
check back often.
SURVEY:
Do you have a child diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder or know
someone who does? Please take a minute to complete this
survey.
Leaving Well Alone: A
Natural Approach to the Third Stage of Labour
by Dr Sarah Buckley - The
medical approach to pregnancy and birth has become so ingrained in our
culture, that we have forgotten the way of birth of our ancestors: a way
that has ensured our survival as a species for millennia.
Why Do Babies Cry? by Dr. George Malcolm Morley - An account of the wonderful events that happen to a newborn child and its mother immediately after birth when they are not interfered with or disturbed by doctors, midwives and nurses.
Neonatal Transitional Physiology: A New Paradigm by Judith Mercer and RL Skovgaard - Here is the abstract from a new paper published in The Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing. (CLICK HERE for the full-text study - pdf file requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. WARNING - file is very large - approx. 900kB.)
Effect of Delayed Cord Clamping on Iron Stores in Infants Born to Anemic Mothers: A Randomized Controlled Trial - A new study showing that iron stores and hemoglobin in infancy can be improved in babies born to anemic mothers by delaying cord clamping at birth. (ABSTRACT, FULL-TEXT)
To Clamp or Not to Clamp by Dr. George Malcolm Morley - A practical guide for expectant parents to explain the safe use of a cord clamp to their doctor or midwife.
The following is a small collection of writing pertaining to the subject of cord clamping. This list is certainly not anywhere near complete or comprehensive, yet. But it will hopefully continue to be updated.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead (1901-1978)
Basics of the Cord Clamping / Brain Damage Issue
The following are established facts:
-
Birth asphyxia (lack of oxygen) causes newborn brain damage.
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Before birth, the placenta supplies the brain with oxygen.
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After birth, the lungs supply the brain with oxygen.
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After the delivery of the child, and before delivery of the placenta, the oxygen supply changes from the placenta to the lungs.
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During normal changeover, placental oxygenation continues until pulmonary oxygenation is established.
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During normal changeover, the brain is not deprived of oxygen.
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During normal changeover, placental blood is transfused into the child, increasing its blood volume.
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The increased blood volume flows through the lungs augmented by ventilation to establish pulmonary oxygenation.
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After pulmonary oxygenation is established, placental oxygenation ceases - the cord vessels close; the brain's oxygen supply is not interrupted.
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The child's innate reflexes control all the above mechanisms and functions.
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Those reflexes have been developed over millions of years for optimal survival of the newborn.
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Placental oxygenation is arrested and the brain is deprived of oxygen until the lungs function.
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Placental transfusion is arrested and the child is hypovolemic.
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Blood flow through the lungs and other organs is not optimal and pulmonary oxygenation is not optimal.
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The child’s life support systems are not optimal for survival or for optimum health.
Some scientists claim that hydrogen, because it is so plentiful, is the basic building block of the universe. I dispute that. I say there is more stupidity than hydrogen, and that is the basic building block of the universe. - Frank Zappa
Additional Cord Clamping Articles/Letters
Two patterns of perinatal brain damage and their conditions of occurrence (Myers RE. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 1972; 112: 246-276.) - Study abstract in PDF format. Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Informed Consent for Cord Clamping: Ask Erasmus Darwin by Dr. George Malcolm Morley - A Letter to the Editor of the British Medical Journal.
Cord Closure: Can Hasty Clamping Injure the Newborn? - By George Malcolm Morley, MB, ChB, FACOG, July 1998, OBG Management.
It can be held certain that information that is withheld or suppressed
contains truths that are detrimental to the persons involved in the suppression. - J. Edgar Hoover
Hypoxic Respiratory Failure: Cause & Prevention - Letter to the Editor by George Malcolm Morley (Pediatrics).
Don't fool with Mother Nature. - Unknown
A Randomised Controlled Trial of Delayed Cord Clamping in Very Low Birth Weight Preterm Infants (Eur J Pediatr 2000 Oct;159(10):775-7)
If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing. - Anatole France (1844-1924)
Do not discard 99.99% of the human placental umbilical cord blood for the sake of stem cells only - by Niranjan Bhattacharya, Surgeon and Superintendent Bijoygarh State Hospital, Calcutta,India
Umbilical Cord Whole Blood Transfusion: A Suggested Strategy To Combat Blood Scarcity In Ireland - by Niranjan Bhattacharya, Surgeon and Superintendent Bijoygarh State Hospital, Calcutta,India
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Report of the Workshop on Acute Perinatal Asphyxia in Term Infants
More information about Erasmus Darwin (Erasmus Darwin Foundation, UC Berkeley, The Victorian Web, Dickinson College, Lichfield City Council, Centre For The History Of Medicine, Strange Science)
New blood joins this Earth and quickly he's subdued . - Metallica