Optimal Cord Clamping and its Effect on Infant Iron Levels with Alan Greene, MD

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE

How long did your doctor wait to clamp the umbilical cord with your baby? If you’re like most parents, you probably have no idea. But the timing of cord clamping can have an impact on your baby’s iron status in infancy and later in life. Dr. Alan Greene is the founder of the TICC TOCC campaign (...long pre-dating that other Tik Tok :) and TICC TOCC stands for Transitioning Immediate Cord Clamping to Optimal Cord Clamping. In this interview Dr. Greene is teaching about how waiting until the pulsing of the cord stops - about 90 seconds longer than in conventional practice - can have lasting impacts on your baby’s iron and health later in life.

SUMMARY OF EPISODE

In this episode we’re talking about:

• What optimal cord clamping is and how it improves baby’s iron levels in infancy and later life

• Why Dr. Greene prefers the term “optimal” cord clamping over “delayed” cord clamping

• How you can advocate for optimal cord clamping in your own future birth plan

ABOUT THE GUEST

• Dr. Alan Greene is a pediatrician and advocate for natural approaches to optimizing iron status in infants and children

• He founded the TICC-TOCC campaign (before the other TikTok :) Transitioning Immediate Cord Clamping to Optimal Cord Clamping

• Dr. Greene advocates for waiting until pulsing of the cord slows to a stop, about 90 seconds longer than usual to optimize iron, stem cell, WBC, RBC & more

LINKS from this episode

• Dr. Greene’s page on TICC TOCC (Transitioning Immediate Cord Clamping to Optimal Cord Clamping): https://www.drgreene.com/the-most-important-90-seconds-in-every-pregnancy 

• Watch Dr. Greene’s Ted Talk on TICC TOCC about the most important 90 seconds of every pregnancy here.

• Delayed Umbilical Cord Clamping After Birth: ACOG committee opinion is here.  

• WHO Guideline: Delayed Umbilical Cord Clamping for improved maternal and infant health and nutrition outcomes is here.

• Rana, Nisha et al. “Effect of Delayed Cord Clamping of Term Babies on Neurodevelopment at 12 Months: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Neonatology vol. 115,1 (2019): 36-42. doi:10.1159/000491994 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30278462/ 

TRANSCRIPT OF EPISODE

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