Current umbilical cord clamping practices and attitudes of obstetricians and midwives toward delayed cord clamping in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: In Saudi Arabia, as in many countries, there is usually no clear definition of the timing of umbilical cord clamping (UCC) in the policies and procedures used by hospitals. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends delayed cord clamping (DCC) (> 1 minute after birth) as it can significantly improve hemodynamics and long-term neurodevelopment. OBJECTIVE: To investigate current practices of healthcare professionals on the timing of UCC in Saudi Arabia. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Five tertiary hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during May to October 2016. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Obstetricians and midwives completed a widely-used questionnaire on UCC practices. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Current UCC practices and attitudes of obstetricians and midwives toward DCC. RESULTS: Eighty-two obstetricians and 75 midwives completed the questionnaire for a response rate of 80%. The majority of respondents were aged 30 years or older (81%) and 84% were females. Most respondents were non-Saudi (66%) and had an educational level of bachelor's degree or higher (72%). Only 42% of respondents reported the existence of UCC guidelines in their practice; 38% reported the existence of a set time for UCC when the neonate was term and healthy, and only 32% had a set time for UCC in preterm neonates. While lower levels of agreement were reported among obstetricians and midwives on the benefits of DCC for babies requiring positive pressure ventilation, the majority of respondents (69-71%) thought that DCC was generally good for both term and preterm babies and that its benefits extend beyond the neonatal period. CONCLUSIONS: While the majority of obstetricians and midwives that participated in this study had a positive perception toward DCC, this did not translate to their daily practice as most of these professionals reported a lack of existing UCC guidelines in their institutions. Further studies are warranted to confirm these findings. LIMITATIONS: Participant selection by convenience sampling.