Amsterdam - The umbilical cord of babies born prematurely should not be cut immediately, according to a Dutch published Friday. The study in the Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde, a Dutch medical journal, says babies born prematurely can benefit from the fact that the umbilical cord still contains blood.
It reduces their risk of developing anaemia and the subsequent need for a blood transfusion.
Blood transfusions are particularly dangerous for premature babies as it increases their infection risk because their immune system is underdeveloped.
