New mothers are wrongly being denied skin contact with their babies while a life-saving procedure is undertaken, researchers said today.
Doctors have been advised to delay clamping of the umbilical cord by two-minutes to enable iron-rich blood to pass from mother to baby.
But guidelines for performing this procedure have led to babies being held away from the mother for this period.
And the awkwardness of holding the baby away from the mother is thought to be one reason why delayed cord-clamping is often not performed.
Now a study in Argentina suggests alternative positions, which could mean the baby is held against the mother’s chest or abdomen.
The researchers tested alternative positions on 194 babies in three university hospitals in Argentina. Their health was compared with another 197 subjected to delayed clamping using the conventional procedure.
Their findings, suggesting the baby can be held against the mother, are reported in The Lancet today.
Researcher Professor Nestor Vain, of the Foundation for Maternal and Child Health in Buenos Aires, said: "Iron deficiency in newborn babies and children is a serious public health problem in low-income countries, and also prevalent in countries from North America and western Europe.
"Our study suggests that when umbilical cord clamping is delayed for 2 minutes, holding the baby on the mother’s chest or abdomen is no worse than the currently recommended practice of holding the baby below this level.
"Because of the potential of enhanced bonding between mother and baby, increased success of breastfeeding and the compliance with the procedure, holding the infant by the mother immediately after birth should be strongly recommended."
The findings were welcomed by the UK Royal College of Midwives.
Jane Munro, of the college, said: "The RCM supports delayed cord clamping and has long championed skin to skin contact between mother and baby as soon as possible after the birth.
"This piece of research is useful in offering more support for early skin to skin contact which we know is so valued by mothers."
The Lancet 17 April 2014 [abstract]
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