STOP early clamping and cutting of the umbilical cord.

  • by: Karalyn Sladka Mother of two
  • recipient: Queen Elizabeth, Julia Gillard (Australian PM), Barrack Obama, WHO,  birth attendants in all countries,

Early cord clamping (ECC) is defined as any method by which the cord is manipulated to stop the flow of blood to the baby while it is still pulsating.  This includes clamping, cutting, hand squeezing, tying or holding the baby too high or too low. An umbilical cord pulsates for between 7 mins for an unmedicated birth and up to 20 mins for a medicated birth. In this time the full volume of blood the newborn infant requires is still passed from the placenta until it stops pulsating or until it turns white. Currently mainstream procedure is to immediately (within 30 seconds) clamp and cut the babys functioning cord. Whenever a pulsating umbilical cord is clamped,  20-60% of the baby's total blood volume is trapped inside the placenta. It will take over 6 months for the baby to replenish the volume of blood lost by early cord clamping. Short cord, maternal haemorrhage, c-section, respiratory distress are just a few of the worthless reasons to clamp a cord.  Even a baby in distress can be revived with the cord intact. All of the restricted umbilical cord problems are usually the result of drugs given during labour, including oxytocin, Pitocin, iv fluids, and pain medications, not a result of leaving the cord intact. The only situations in which a cord should be early clamped is when the cord has torn or with a placenta previa.  Babies born via c-section can be delivered with their cord and placenta intact.   Multiples can also be delivered without risk of restricted umbilical cord problems. ECC is also routinely being done in some countries to get stem cell blood for banking (effectively taking those cells away from your baby when it needs it and possibly using for them at a later stage but mostly for other people). Restricted umbilical cord problems associated with anaemia are Autism, heart perforations, thyroid disorders, brain tumours, leukaemia, SIDS, hormonal imbalances and liver/kidney disease. When a baby requires to be resuscitated which is not that uncommon (1 in 16), the full volume of blood is required to ensure they are receiving the maximum dose of oxygenated blood. As the blood travels into the baby's expanding lungs, once they become filled, the baby will feel its own signal to breathe and will do so with fully expanded lungs but it is usually procedure during "resuscitation" also to cut the cord, take the baby to a warming tray to make access easier for the attending midwifes, OBs etc which is not a necessity and is counterproductive. Please sign this petition in the hope that we can educate all birth attendants that early cord clamping is doing more harm than good and the practice should be abolished completely. The babys umbilical cord should be left at the very minimum until the cord has stopped pulsating. Another 20mins in a birthing unit is not too much to ask. First DO NO HARM.

We the undersigned petition to make all the known evidence against this unnecessary routine procedure clearly recognised and put an end to this malpractise immediately by any and all available means possible. Babies are being killed and harmed irreparably and this has to stop NOW. This procedure (apart from being required if the cord breaks or in the case of placenta previa) is clearly doing more harm than good and there is evidence to support that the best interests of the newborn infant are being overlooked by the profit a hospital can make by selling off stem cells and also due to the time required to wait until a cord stops pulsating being an issue for the birth attendants. We urge that you think about every mother that has lost a newborn and every mother that is coming to terms with a child that has some physical and/or intellectual disabilitiy that could be directly related to this unwanted intervention, that many mothers sadly are not even made aware is so paramount to the health of their newborn. We have the evidence it is time to share the knowledge, make a change and stop the pain. There is some 400, 000 - 500,000 deaths that can be directly related to this procedure alone let alone all of the children suffering that can not proove that is was because of this procedure. Early clamping and cutting of the cord depriives the newborn of a still functioning organ and a full blood supply and the abuse of this is a human rights issue and must be addressed with the highest priorty for the sake of all newborn children. Birth is a natural process and the continued medicalisation and unwanted intervention is not only doing our infants harm but also the mothers who are left feeling violated, disheartened and guilty lending to more and more cases of post natal depression. The oath that Drs take is 'first do no harm' and that is clearly being breached in this instance and they must be held accountable for this. There must be INFORMED choice for all mothers.

Early Cord Clamping is an unacceptable routine procedure and we urge you to do something about this NOW!!!!!!(please for the sake of our children)

Thank you for taking the time to look into this very important issue for the sake of our future generations.
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