PRNigeria Fact Check: Does Delayed Baby Umbilical Cord Clamping Have Health Benefits?
Claim: Baby’s umbilical cord blood has health benefits and should not be cut off immediately.
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On July 18, 2025, a Facebook post by Zainab Suleiman gained significant traction, asserting that a baby’s placenta should not be clamped and cut immediately after birth. The post included a graphic photo of a white, limp, and translucent umbilical cord, described as a sign that “every last drop of cord blood has been delivered to the baby as designed,” and is therefore ready for cutting off and clamping.
The post accused many hospitals of prematurely clamping and cutting the cord within seconds of delivery. “The baby cries, the team moves fast, and parents are told ‘it’s routine.’ No one stops to ask… What was in that cord?” the post reads.
According to the post, the cord blood is not an “extra” or waste product but a “biological treasure,” rich in oxygen, immune cells, iron, and stem cells essential for the newborn’s development and protection. She implied that early clamping denies the baby these benefits while suggesting that the cord blood and placenta are commercially valuable, sold for stem cell research, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.
Although the post did not specify the exact amount of time clamping should be delayed, it urged parents to allow complete transfer of cord blood before severing the cord. With over 74,000 followers on her page and 547 engagements on the post, it sparked admiration, confusion, and scepticism.
One Facebook user, Kotto Myahwegi, wrote: “In African culture, the cord is buried in the house, mostly behind a hidden area of the house. I don’t know of this theory.”
Another user, Abdulrahman Muhammad, countered the post, saying, “This is misleading. An umbilical cord should be clamped within 1–3 minutes after the baby cries and looks healthy (APGAR).”
On his part, King Noble expressed concern about liability, writing, “if I be midwife and you tell me this, like you want to leave the placenta and the cord on your child, you must sign a form…no be me wunna go put for trouble (you won’t put me in trouble).”
The claim about delayed umbilical cord clamping is significant because it directly impacts newborn health outcomes. Verifying it ensures parents, caregivers, and health professionals make informed decisions based on science rather than viral claims or fear-driven narratives.
Verification
PRNigeria Factcheck observes that the Facebook post did not originate from Zainab Suleiman. The content was credited to a certain Jodi Shabazz. A quick online and social media search confirmed that Jodi, a United States-based Naturopathic Doctor, made the original post to her audience on July 16, 2025.
This discovery prompted a deeper investigation into the scientific and medical consensus regarding delayed umbilical cord clamping.
To verify, PRNigeria examined protocols and recommendations from leading health authorities and medical associations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG), and American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP), as well as credible expert opinions.
The WHO guidelines on delayed umbilical cord clamping (2014, updated 2020) strongly recommends that newly born term or preterm babies who do not require positive-pressure ventilation, should not have their cord clamped earlier than 1 minute after birth, However, it recommends that newly born babies who do not breathe spontaneously after thorough drying should be stimulated by rubbing the back 2–3 times before clamping the cord and initiating positive-pressure ventilation.
This recommendation is based on evidence that delayed clamping improves maternal and infant health and nutrition outcomes, particularly regarding iron status. The WHO states, “Delayed umbilical cord clamping (DCC) for at least 60 seconds is recommended for improved maternal and infant health and nutrition outcomes.”
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Similarly, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG) recommends delaying umbilical cord clamping for at least 30 to 60 seconds after birth for full-term and preterm infants. In its ACOG Committee Opinion No. 814 (2017, reaffirmed 2023), the institution highlights that “delayed umbilical cord clamping (DCC) for at least 30–60 seconds after birth is recommended for vigorous term and preterm infants.”
They further explained that this practice increases haemoglobin levels at birth and improves iron stores in the first several months of life, which may positively affect neurodevelopmental outcomes.
The American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) supports delaying umbilical cord clamping for at least 30–60 seconds after birth for most healthy term and preterm infants. The AAP emphasises the benefits of this practice, including improved iron stores and reduced risk of anaemia. They state, “For healthy term and preterm infants, delayed umbilical cord clamping (30–60 seconds from birth) is recommended.”
PRNigeria notes that notable research consistently supports the benefits of delayed cord clamping. A systematic review and meta-analysis published in The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in 2014, and updated in 2018, concluded that delayed cord clamping (defined as more than one minute after birth or when pulsation has ceased) compared with early cord clamping (less than one minute) is associated with higher hemoglobin concentrations and increased iron stores in infants at several months of age. This can lead to a reduced risk of iron deficiency anaemia.
Several world-class medical practitioners have also weighed in on the subject. Alan Greene, a clinical professor of paediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine, has long advocated for delayed cord clamping, emphasising the significant blood transfer. He states, “About a third of the baby’s total blood volume is still in the placenta at birth. If you clamp the cord immediately, that blood is lost to the baby.”
Judith Mercer, a leading researcher and professor of nursing at the University of Rhode Island, whose work has significantly influenced guidelines, emphasises the physiological advantages.
She explains, “Delayed cord clamping allows for a natural placental transfusion, providing the baby with a richer blood volume, more red blood cells, immune cells, and stem cells, which are crucial for early development and health.”
These protocols and expert opinions emphasise a waiting period of at least 30 seconds to one minute (60 seconds) after birth for healthy, vigorous newborns. This timeframe allows for a significant portion of the placental blood to transfer to the infant, providing the crucial benefits outlined by the claim, particularly increased iron stores and improved haemoglobin levels, which can positively impact neurodevelopment.
In Nigeria, international recommendations and preliminary local evidence indicate that Nigerian health authorities and institutions support delaying umbilical cord clamping by at least 60 seconds, where feasible, to improve newborn outcomes. This practice is gaining traction among skilled birth attendants in the country.
A 2021 survey conducted at a Neonatal Resuscitation Workshop in Lagos (LASUTH) involving 55 skilled birth attendants (doctors and nurses) found that although 76.4% were aware of delayed cord clamping, only 49.1% practised it and among those practicing, modes ranged from a 30-second to over 3-minute delay, with a minority practicing physiological delay (waiting until the cord stops pulsing).
Ibrahim Shuaib, a medical doctor at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Katsina, confirmed that while the issue of delayed cord clamping is an ongoing debate, delayed clamping is beneficial for newborns, “especially if they were not born fine.”
He, however, stated that once a baby is born healthy and starts to cry at birth, prolonged delayed clamping beyond the minimum standard is not necessary.
Verdict: True! Scientific evidence, major health organisations and experts support the benefits of delayed umbilical cord clamping for healthy newborns. This practice allows for the transfer of essential blood volume and nutrients.
Conclusion
PRNigeria therefore concludes that the claim that delayed umbilical cord clamping has health benefits for babies is true. Major global health bodies such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG), and the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) recommend delaying clamping for at least 30 to 60 seconds.
Local studies and expert opinions suggest that Nigerian health institutions support delayed clamping, particularly when the baby is not in immediate distress. Parents are encouraged to discuss cord clamping practices with their healthcare providers to make informed decisions based on current medical guidelines.
By PRNigeria
