Curiosity. Commitment. Factfullness.
On three occasions, Hans tweeted about our research. Obviously, I was both surprised and proud that this occupied and certainly hard courted person had time to follow what we've done. Now he is deceased, lost to all of us, but especially of course for his family, friends and loved ones.
There are many who have shared their memory of Hans Rosling during the recent days, yet I cannot help but share my thoughts with you.
We are many who admire Hans and what he accomplished, from his many years of work as a doctor in Africa, his research and start-up of programs in global health and his work with Gapminder. His humanism. In all I think three words shines brightly:
Curiosity. Commitment. Factfullness.
Hans always seemed to be curious, to phenomena in the world around us, curious on people, to figure out how the earth can be better place to live. The altruistic commitment he radiated, the commitment to spread knowledge, to help people, the passion to reach out, not to gain personal benefit, but for everyone's best. And then the word that Hans is said to have coined, and he was writing a book about: factfulness. To see past our own beliefs and prejudices. The ability to see the reality that is in front of us and to base our arguments on facts and not something else.
This last has never been so important as today, when many of us so easily begin to listen to the populists and the prophets of doom, the Trumps and right extremes.
Others have written that Hans Rosling's voice was more important now than ever before. I guess what we really should say is that everyone's vote is more important than in a long time.
When similar winds as from before World War II blows cold all around us, then it is time to join Hans Rosling disciples to become apostles: Start with a good dose of humanism and add thereto Curiosity. Commitment. And perhaps above all Factfulness.
Thanks for all Hans. I will try my best to honor your memory.

Memorial fund in honor of Hans Rosling
​​​​​​​https://unicef.se/egna-insamlingar/3866-memorial-fund-in-honor-of-hans-rosling​​​​​​​

In our latest study, published January 17th,
we randomized 540 children, born at a large obstetrical hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, to early (≤ 60 seconds) or delayed cord clamping (≥180 seconds). In Nepal, approximately 70 % of infants up to one year of age have anemia. Follow-up included blood samples at 8 and 12 months of age, to evaluate anemia (hemoglobin) and iron deficiency (ferritin).
 
What did we find?
At the age of 8 months the incidence of anemia was reduced by 9% among the Nepalese infants and still at 12 months of age 8% fewer infants were anemic. The children in the delayed cord clamping group generally had higher hemoglobin values, and the percentage of children who had iron deficiency at 8 months of age decreased significantly, more than 40%.

A delay of umbilical cord clamping by 30 seconds at elective cesarean section results in the similar iron stores as after 3 minutes delay of cord clamping in vaginally born infants, and provides better iron stores than immediate cord clamping in vaginally born infants.
 
In November 2nd, BMJ Open published our paper: 'Elective caesarean: does delay in cord clamping for 30 s ensure sufficient iron stores at 4 months of age? A historical cohort control study'

In this study we compared iron stores at 4 and 12 months of age in infants born after elective cesarean section with their umbilical cords clamped after 30 seconds with infants born vaginally and who either had their cord clamped immediately or after 3 minutes.
 
This was actually not what we had expected. Earlier research had implied that the placental transfusion after elective cesarean was rather small and should render similar iron stores as the immediately clamped vaginally born infants. This may likely be the case if the cord also is clamped immediately after CS. What was also quite surprising was that the placental transfusion seems to happen faster after CS than after vaginally birth, as 30 seconds after CS was comparable with 3 minutes after vaginally birth. This might be explained by the fact that babies born vaginally are under a normal strain and have higher blood pressure than babies after CS.
 
The paper can be read here: Andersson O, Hellström-Westas L, Domellöf M. Elective caesarean: does delay in cord clamping for 30 s ensure sufficient iron stores at 4 months of age? A historical cohort control study. BMJ Open 2016;6:e012995. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-012995

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-012995