Venous Hypertension in the Newborn Infant Associated with Delayed Clamping of the Umbilical Cord1

Abstract

Summary The mean umbilical vein pressure of 31 normal infants 5 to 89 hours of age was 92.2 mm of normal saline ± 12.8 mm (S.D.). Venous pressure was not influenced by age or birth weight. Continuous recordings of umbilical rein pressure were made on 11 infants whose umbilical cords were clamped at the time of delivery, and on 20 infants whose cords were clamped several minutes after delivery. The highest pressure recorded in the early‐clamped group was 120 mm; 2 of the 11 infants had this pressure. Seventeen of the 20 late‐clamped infants had levels of venous pressure repeatedly in excess of 120 mm during the first 30–60 minutes of life with return to the normal range at varying rates. Possible effects of a placental transfusion sufficiently large to raise venous pressure on the clinical status of the newborn infant have been discussed briefly.