The umbilical cord of a newborn infant is a very delicate and fragile thing which has to be kept intact at all times. A mother who has just given birth to an infant will know how important this thing is, and is likely to be over excited at the same time. If it wasn’t for the umbilical cord, the chances are that the new mother may have suffered from post-natal depression and would not have been able to give the baby its life and its personality. So, to make sure that the cord remains intact and does not get cut off, the hospital which the delivery took place in should have a high quality machine that can preserve it.
The umbilical cord is made of very sensitive material indeed, and the slightest slip can lead to the material being torn into two or even more pieces. This makes it very difficult to hold on to and can also prevent it from flowing back into the body of the baby after the birth process is over. When this happens, then chances are that the new mother would be unable to breastfeed her infant – and then there would be no source of nourishment for the child. The hospital, which the delivery took place in should have a quality machine that can separate the stump from the live strand to keep both parts alive and connected permanently. In the unfortunate event of the umbilical cord being torn apart, then chances are that there would not be any way by which the child can absorb nutrients or other substances from the mother’s milk, and there would be only a slim chance of the child surviving at all.
There are different types of clamps which are used for cord clamping. For babies who have extremely damaged cords, these might be the best option for them, but for normal newborn babies, the normal clamps which are used for cord feeding would be sufficient. These clamps are placed over the abdomen area of the baby and are pushed down slightly. This creates a vacuum around the umbilical cord, and the blood is separated out into three separate clumps which are then taken away by simple means. Now you know more about the umbilical cord of a newborn.