THE EFFECT OF DEPRIVING THE INFANT OF ITS PLACENTAL BLOOD

Abstract

Although much has been written concerning the blood of the infant, knowledge of the early postnatal blood picture including changes at birth and during the first week of life is incomplete and controversial. Our interest in the blood of the newborn was stimulated by the numerous recent reports on collection of placental blood for "blood banks." Those who have advocated the use of placental blood for transfusion purposes,¹have failed to recognize possible deleterious effects on the infant when it is deprived of this blood. It is essential to clamp the umbilical cord immediately after birth in order to salvage an adequate amount of placental blood. Even when placental blood is not collected, the practice of clamping the cord promptly at birth is a rather common one. It is natural for the newborn infant to retrieve most of the blood in its placental circulation if severing of the cord