The obstetric clamp
Wechsler (1912) published a brief note in the American Journal of Obstetrics and
Diseases of Children on use of an obstetric clamp as an alternative to traditional
ligature with a cloth tie. On a visit to Vienna, he had witnessed use of a sterile
hemostat clamp on the umbilical.cord. First on his list of instructions was to wait for
pulsations in the cord to cease before applying the clamp.
Ten years later, Zeigler (1922) published an article on instruments used in
obstetrics, which included a clamp used as an alternative to tying the cord.
Dicks (1925) promoted use of a clamp to prevent infection. Again, waiting for
pulsations in the cord to cease was first on his list of instructions.
Postnatal placental circulation
Haselhorst (1928, 1929) used temporary compression of the cord to measure infant
weight changes during the course of continuing placental circulation following birth.
English language summaries of Haselhort's work were provided by Frischkorn and
Rucker (1939).
- Wechsler BB. Umbilical clamp. Am J Obstet Dis Women Child 1912; 60:85-6.
- Ziegler CE. Additions to our obstetric armamentarium. Am J Obstet Gynecol
1922; 3:46-53.
- Dicks JF. Treatment of the umbilical cord by short ligation and the use of a
clamp. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1925 Nov; 10(5):706-8. Discussion pp739-40.
- Haselhorst G. Uber Art und Dauer der Blutstromung in den
Nabelschnurgefassen post partum. Z Geburtshilfe Gynakol 1929; 96:487-
499 (Zeitschrift für Geburtshilfe und Gynäkologie).
- Haselhorst G (1928a) Zum plazentaren Kreislauf unter der Geburt. Zeitshrift
fur Gegurtshulfe und Gynakologie 95:32-42.
- Haselhorst G (1928b) Zum plazentaaren Kreislauf unter der Geburt. Zeitshr.
f. Geb. u Gynakol. 95:224-233.
- Frischkorn HB , Rucker MP (1939) The relationship of the time of ligation of
the cord to the red blood count of the infant. Am J Ostet Gynecol 38:592-594.
(in progress)
Williamson, A. C., Taylor, J. V. (1924) J. Amer. med. Ass. 82, 1107. Cited by
Redmond et al. (1965)