Variability and associated factors in the management of cord clamping and the milking practice among Spanish obstetric professionals

Abstract

Clinical practice guides recommend delayed clamping of the umbilical cord. If this is not possible, some authors suggest milking as an alternative. The objective of this study was to determine the variability in professional practice in the management of umbilical cord clamping and milking and to identify factors or circumstances associated with the different methods. An observational cross-sectional study done on 1,045 obstetrics professionals in Spain in 2018. A self-designed questionnaire was administered online. The main variables studied were type of clamping and use of milking. Crude odds ratios (OR) and adjusted odds ratios (ORa) were estimated using binary logistic regression. 92.2% (964) performed delayed clamping. 69.3% (724) clamped the cord when it stopped beating. 83.8% (876) had heard of milking, and 55.9% (584) had never performed it. Professionals over 50 were less likely to perform delayed clamping, with an ORa of 0.24 (95% CI: 0.11–0.52), while midwives were more likely to perform delayed clamping than obstetricians, with an ORa of 14.05 (95% CI: 8.41–23.49). There is clinical variability in the management of umbilical cord clamping and the use of milking in normal births. Part of this variability can be attributed to professional and work environment factors.