Delayed Cord Clamping: Honouring God’s Design for Newborns

Delayed Cord Clamping: Honouring God’s Design for Newborns

When your baby is born they’re still attached to the miraculous organ that sustained them for nine months: the placenta. In modern hospitals it’s common for the umbilical cord to be clamped and cut within seconds, but growing evidence shows that waiting a bit longer, what clinicians call delayed cord clamping (DCC), allows God’s design to complete its work. This article explains what DCC is, why it matters for both full term and preterm babies, and how this simple practice honours the Creator’s perfect plan.

What is delayed cord clamping?

During pregnancy your baby’s blood circulates through the placenta, where it picks up oxygen and nutrients and offloads waste. At birth the placenta still holds 25 to 30 % of your baby’s blood volume. Delayed cord clamping is the practice of waiting before clamping and cutting the umbilical cord, giving time for this blood to transfer to the baby.

Professional bodies recommend different timings:

• World Health Organization (WHO): Do not clamp earlier than one minute; this one minute delay is the lower limit supported by published evidence.

• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG): Delay cord clamping for at least 30 to 60 seconds in vigorous term and preterm infants.

• American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM): For term newborns, waiting three to five minutes ensures the greatest benefit; for preterm newborns, waiting 30 to 180 seconds reduces intraventricular haemorrhage and hospital mortality by about 30 %.

New guidance issued in 2025 specifically for preterm babies recommends waiting at least 60 seconds and notes that longer waits (120 seconds or more) reduce mortality even further.

Why wait? The benefits of placental transfusion

A rich transfusion of blood and stem cells

The placenta is a reservoir of iron rich red blood cells, stem cells and antibodies. When the cord is left unclamped, an average of 81 mL of blood (range 50 to 163 mL) flows into the infant within two to three minutes. This additional blood volume increases birth weight, hemoglobin concentration and ferritin levels and boosts iron stores for four to eight months after birth. ACOG notes that early clamping deprives the baby of this iron and increases risk for iron deficiency anaemia.

The blood transfusion also supplies hematopoietic stem cells. These stem cells aid tissue repair and support immune development. Evolutionary Parenting reports that optimal cord clamping provides up to 30 % more blood and 60 % more red blood cells, offering organs more oxygen and delivering stem cells to repair and regenerate tissues.

Improved circulation and cardiovascular stability

Studies on preterm infants show that delaying cord clamping improves transitional circulation, increases red cell volume and reduces the need for blood transfusions. In very preterm babies (born before 32 weeks), DCC is associated with decreased intraventricular haemorrhage and necrotizing enterocolitis. A 2023 meta analysis of over 6000 preterm infants found that DCC reduced death before hospital discharge (odds ratio 0.68) and reduced the need for transfusions. Waiting longer (more than 120 seconds) reduced mortality even more. A 2022 randomized trial with full term infants showed that waiting 120 seconds improved cardiac output and stroke volume compared with 30 seconds, without increasing polycythaemia or bilirubin levels.

Better iron stores and brain development

Iron is crucial for cognitive and motor development. Research shows that delaying clamping results in higher hemoglobin levels and iron stores at birth and that these elevated iron levels persist for months. ACOG notes that iron deficiency has been linked to impaired cognitive, motor and behavioural development. Natural Womanhood summarises that improved iron stores from DCC can have a “positive rippling effect” on a child’s life.

Stem cells for healing and immunity

Placental blood is rich in stem cells and immunoglobulins. Waiting allows transfer of these regenerative cells, which may aid in tissue repair and support the development of a strong immune system. Evolutionary Parenting notes that cord blood contains vital stem cells that are lost when cords are clamped early. Early clamping can also deprive infants of antibodies and immunoglobulins necessary for fighting infection.

Benefits for mothers

Delayed cord clamping is not associated with increased postpartum haemorrhage. On the contrary, it allows mothers and babies to remain connected during the “golden hour,” promoting skin to skin contact and breastfeeding initiation. Natural Womanhood notes that waiting to clamp the cord supported a calmer third stage of labour and increased oxytocin release. Many women describe this period as a peaceful time to bond with their newborn, aligning with the biblical imagery of a mother and child being comforted together (Isaiah 66:13).

Historical practices and old tales

Historically, midwives waited until the cord stopped pulsating before cutting. As early as 1801, Erasmus Darwin wrote that cutting the cord too soon deprived the child of needed blood. Over the 20th century, however, early clamping became routine, partly due to misconceptions that it prevented postpartum haemorrhage and reduced jaundice. These fears have been disproven by modern research, which shows no increase in postpartum haemorrhage or significant difference in jaundice with delayed clamping.

Cultural beliefs also influence cord practices. A qualitative study in Nigeria found that in some communities it is taboo for a mother to see her baby’s umbilical cord; elders believe this could bring harm. Some families use herbal leaves or household items to cut or tie the cord. These customs illustrate the reverence and mystery surrounding the cord but may conflict with evidence based care. Sharing gentle, respectful education can help families understand the benefits of waiting without dismissing their traditions.

Does delayed clamping pose risks?

Most studies show that DCC does not increase the risk of respiratory distress, polycythaemia or symptomatic jaundice. There is a slight increase in asymptomatic polycythaemia and phototherapy treated jaundice in some studies, but these conditions are easily monitored and treated. Importantly, delayed clamping does not increase postpartum haemorrhage and should not interfere with active management of the third stage of labour.

How to practice delayed cord clamping

1. Discuss your wishes ahead of time. Talk with your care provider about including delayed cord clamping in your birth plan. Ask how long they routinely wait and whether they can accommodate longer delays (three to five minutes for term babies, at least 60 seconds for preterm infants). Include cord milking as an option if longer delay isn’t possible.

2. Hold baby at or below the placenta. Holding your newborn at or below the level of the placenta allows gravity to assist the transfusion and typically completes the transfusion within two to three minutes. If baby is placed skin to skin on your chest, waiting five minutes or more may be needed.

3. Monitor and support. Your healthcare team can perform initial drying, suctioning and resuscitation while the cord remains intact. Newborns who require immediate resuscitation may need earlier clamping; in such cases cord milking might provide some benefit.

4. Plan for exceptions. Immediate clamping may be necessary if the mother is experiencing haemorrhage, the placenta is abnormal (for example, placenta previa), or the infant needs urgent interventions. In these situations any delay, even 30 seconds, can still benefit the baby.

Why waiting five minutes matters

Researchers often report benefits at one, three and five minutes after birth.  At around one minute, roughly 50 % of the cord blood has transferred to the baby, supplying about 80 mL of blood.  By three minutes, about 90 % of the transfusion has occurred and the baby receives roughly 100 mL of blood.  Waiting five minutes or until the cord stops pulsating allows nearly all of the remaining blood to enter the newborn, ensuring they receive the full complement of red blood cells, stem cells and plasma.  A small randomized trial funded by the National Institutes of Health found that infants whose cords were clamped at five minutes had higher levels of ferritin and more myelin in their brains at four months of age, without increased jaundice.  This suggests that longer delays may confer additional neurodevelopmental benefits.  Unless there is a medical emergency that requires immediate intervention, many midwives encourage parents to wait five minutes or more, or simply until the cord is white and limp, to honour God’s timing and ensure their child receives every drop of their own blood.

Don’t bank baby’s blood away

Some parents consider cord blood banking, a process that collects and stores the remaining blood in the placenta for potential future use.  While banking may seem appealing, it inevitably requires clamping the cord early, often within one minute, so that enough blood remains in the placenta for collection.  Yet one third of a baby’s blood volume resides in the placenta at birth.  Early clamping denies your baby dozens of millilitres of iron rich blood and stem cells, which are critical for oxygen transport, immunity and tissue repair.  Many birth workers argue that it is better for the baby to receive their God given blood immediately rather than banking it for a hypothetical future.  Families who feel led to bank cord blood can discuss the option of partial delayed clamping (waiting at least 60 seconds) with their provider, but should understand that collecting cord blood inevitably reduces the transfusion and may diminish some of the benefits described above.

Missed delayed clamping?  Breastfeeding still blesses your baby

Even if you weren’t able to delay the cord clamping, because of a medical emergency, a C section or simply not knowing, take heart.  Breastfeeding is another way God designed mothers to nourish and protect their babies.  Human milk contains the iron binding protein lactoferrin and other immune factors.  Although breastmilk is naturally low in iron (about 0.4 mg per litre), the lactoferrin iron complex is highly bioavailable: researchers have identified a specific receptor in the infant’s gut that absorbs lactoferrin bound iron efficiently.  Lactoferrin also binds iron tightly, making it unavailable to pathogenic bacteria and thereby helping to prevent infections.  In addition to lactoferrin, breast milk supplies secretory IgA antibodies, oligosaccharides and living cells that work together to seed the infant’s gut with beneficial microbes and protect against disease.  For mothers who couldn’t delay the clamp, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months followed by iron rich complementary foods (such as liver, grass fed meats and legumes) can help build iron stores and support healthy development.  And while DCC provides a one time infusion of iron and stem cells, breastfeeding offers continuous nourishment and immunological support, illustrating yet again the wisdom of God’s design.

A godly perspective

When you witness a newborn’s first breaths and feel the softness of their skin, you can sense the miracle of God’s handiwork.  In those quiet moments after birth, while the cord still pulses, there is a sacred invitation to pause.  Waiting for the Creator’s design to finish its work allows your child to receive every drop of the life you shared.  It also invites you to rest in God’s timing and trust His wisdom.  Many parents who learn about delayed cord clamping after the fact feel sadness or regret.  If that is you, remember that our compassionate Lord sees your heart and offers grace.  He brings healing and redemption even when we feel we have fallen short.  By choosing to wait, you are saying yes to His perfect design and opening your heart to His peace.

Conclusion

Delayed cord clamping is more than a trendy birth practice; it is a return to physiological birth and a recognition of divine wisdom. Research shows that waiting just a minute, or even better, three to five minutes, allows a rich transfusion of blood, stem cells and iron that improves survival in preterm infants and boosts brain development and iron stores in full term babies. It reduces the risk of intraventricular haemorrhage and transfusion needs and does not increase postpartum haemorrhage.

As mothers and fathers we are called to steward our children’s beginnings. Embracing delayed cord clamping is a simple yet profound way to respect the Creator’s blueprint. Let us wait, watch the cord pulse its last, and welcome our little ones into the world with the fullness of the life they carried within.

Sources

1. American College of Nurse-Midwives – “Optimal Management of the Umbilical Cord at the Time of Birth.”

2. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) – Committee Opinion on delayed umbilical cord clamping and accompanying press releases.

3. Medscape (2025) – News update summarizing new ACOG guidance on delayed cord clamping.

4. Children (Basel) Journal (2025) – Article titled “How Delayed Cord Clamping Saves Newborn Lives.”

5. Cleveland Clinic – Clinical trial summary comparing 30‑second and 120‑second cord clamping for term infants.

6. Natural Womanhood – Blog post on the benefits of delayed cord clamping and myths surrounding it.

7. Evolutionary Parenting – Article discussing the historical and biological rationale for delayed cord clamping.

8. NICHD (National Institutes of Health) – Science update: “Delayed cord clamping may benefit infant brain development.”

9. MDPI (Antioxidants) – Scholarly article “Iron and the Breastfed Infant” detailing lactoferrin‑bound iron absorption.

10. Molecules (MDPI) – Review article “The Lactoferrin Phenomenon—A Miracle Molecule” summarizing lactoferrin’s antimicrobial and iron‑binding properties.

11. Qualitative study from Nigeria – Research on cultural beliefs and practices regarding newborn umbilical cord care.

12. Lamaze (Connecting the Dots) – Post summarizing antimicrobial peptides in vernix and delayed clamping benefits.