According to the Australian Placental Transfusion Study (APTS), a large international, multicenter randomized clinical trial published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health in 2021, delaying umbilical cord clamping for at least 60 seconds in very preterm infants (born before 30 weeks of pregnancy) significantly improved survival and developmental outcomes.
The study followed more than 1,500 preterm babies across 25 hospitals in seven countries and compared delayed cord clamping (60 seconds or more) with immediate clamping (within 10 seconds).
At the two-year follow-up, researchers found that delaying cord clamping reduced the relative risk of death or major disability in early childhood by 17%. Most notably, mortality before the age of two was reduced by 30% in the delayed group. In addition, 15% fewer infants required blood transfusions after birth.
The findings demonstrate that allowing an extra minute before clamping the cord can provide measurable, long-term survival benefits for very premature babies.