Kolkata: Delaying umbilical cord clamping until the placenta is naturally expelled could significantly boost survival rates and reduce severe health complications in premature infants, according to a breakthrough clinical trial conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Eastern India. The findings of the study conducted in a tertiary care government hospital in Kolkata that demonstrated impressive drop in neonatal mortality rate, has been published recently in the European Journal of Pediatrics.
The study conducted between November 2025 and April 2026 evaluated the effectiveness of intact cord resuscitation (ICR)—a technique where medical teams stabilize and resuscitate newborns while they remain continuously attached to the umbilical cord—compared to conventional cord clamping (CCC), which typically occurs within 30 to 60 seconds of birth. To test whether preserving this natural blood flow improves clinical outcomes, researchers evaluated 127 very preterm infants born between 26 and 31 weeks of gestation who required resuscitation at delivery. Only 35.9% of infants in the ICR group experienced the composite primary outcome of in-hospital death, severe brain bleeding (intraventricular hemorrhage), or chronic lung disease (bronchopulmonary dysplasia), compared to 60.3% in the conventional group—representing a 24.4% absolute reduction in risk.
Experts said early cord clamping during resuscitation often interrupts the crucial transfer of placental blood during a baby’s transition to breathing independently. The findings demonstrated a marked clinical benefit for ICR that included lower mortality and health complication complications.
Additionally, these newborns had higher hemoglobin levels at 72 hours, transitioned to full enteral feeding sooner, and required fewer days on oxygen therapy. Crucially, the study noted that maternal safety outcomes were comparable across both groups, with no added risks for mothers. The study, Effect of intact cord resuscitation versus conventional cord clamping on clinical outcomes in very preterm neonates: a randomized controlled trial from Eastern India had doctors Arun Singh , neonatologist who recently superannuated from the Institute of Health and Family Welfare, West Bengal, Arindam Ghosh, Dinesh Munia, Kushal Mandal, Ayan Das and Shipra Mandal from the neonataology dept of Medical College Hospital Kolkata (MCHK), Dipanakar Jana from National centre for Disease Control and Ramprasad Dey, from MCHK’s department of gynaecology. Sing who was among the pioneers of Purulia model which is adopted across the country now, had also worked as an advisor at the Rashtryoa Bal Swasthya Karyakram. The researchers concluded that intact cord resuscitation represents a promising, highly effective strategy to improve early stabilization and survival in premature infants.
Infants receiving ICR also achieved higher Apgar scores, required less positive-pressure ventilation, established spontaneous breathing earlier, and experienced lower rates of sepsis and vision-threatening eye damage.