title: Umbilical cord milking stabilizes cerebral oxygenation and perfusion in infants born before 29 weeks of gestation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of umbilical cord milking at birth on cerebral perfusion and systemic perfusion in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cerebral tissue oxygenation index and cerebral fractional tissue oxygen extraction were monitored in 50 stable VLBW infants (gestational age <29 weeks, birth weight <1250 g), with 26 allocated to the milked group and 24 to the control group. We used near-infrared spectroscopy 3-6, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 72 hours after birth. Left ventricular end-diastolic dimension, left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricle (LV) Tei index (measurement of left ventricular systolic and diastolic function), left ventricular cardiac output, and superior vena cava flow were measured concurrently using echocardiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in gestational age and birth weight between the 2 groups. Hematocrit, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension, left ventricular cardiac output, and superior vena cava flow were higher in the milked group than in the control group, with improvement in the LV Tei index despite the absence of left ventricular ejection fraction changes within 24 hours after birth. Tissue oxygenation index increased and cerebral fractional tissue oxygen extraction decreased in the milked group within 24 hours after birth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Umbilical cord milking stabilized cerebral oxygenation and perfusion in VLBW infants by improving LV diastolic function by increasing LV preload.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan. takami@tokyo-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takami
authors.forename: Yuusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suganami
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sunohara
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mizukaki
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujioka
authors.forename: Akinori
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoshika
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Akutagawa
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Isaka
mesh_terms: D001810:Blood Volume / Q000502:physiology; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000502:physiology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D054022:Cerebrum / Q000098:blood supply*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; D014470:Umbilical Cord / Q000098:blood supply*; D014683:Vena Cava, Superior / Q000502:physiology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen