When is evidence enough?

One thing is to believe something is right, proving it is a something else. Regarding if and when to clamp the umbilical cord, a lot of people feels it's common sense and 'natural' to wait.

Our research as well as others in the field, is aimed to find out the advantages and disadvantages with delayed versus early cord clamping, hopefully in the end being able to clarify the optimal timing.

Not many things are completely advantageous or disadvantageous.

In June 5th, a Keith Barrington reported his attempt to summarize the research on preterms and placental transfusion. Although, evidence in no way discourages from waiting to clamp the cord, it's evident that we need at least one more large trial to show conclusive results. The APTS trial is aiming to help us to gain that knowledge.

Practice not based on solid evidence will always be threatened to be discarded, and one could only have wished that research had been as rigorous when cords started to be cut early as it is now.