Postnatal placental transfusion
Haselhorst (1929) recorded infant weight changes
during the period of placental transfusion following
birth, showing fluctuations between loss and gain
during the period of strong pulsations of the umbilical
arteries [1]. Strong pulsations are from the infant
heart, pumping blood back to the placenta for oxygen,
and following the exertion involved in being born,
strong pulsations may be the equivalent of increased
heart and respiratory rates following exercise.
Haselhorst's method was completely non-invasive, as
he recorded the weights of all infants until pulsations
ceased – until transition was complete from placental
to pulmonary respiration. In 20 babies, the average
overall gain was 114 grams, with the greatest weight
gain taking place in the first few minutes. This
approach fits the "Do no harm" ethic, far better than
recent "randomized controlled trials" with human
infants. In recent research, infants are randomly
assigned before birth to have the cord clamped
immediately or after a delay of a few seconds or
minutes.
An earlier study by Haselhorst (1928a) involved early
clamping of the cord in cases where the cord had
broken, become knotted, or damaged in some other
way [2]. He noted that the data gathered did not
represent natural physiology, blood pressure
changes on the placental side of the clamp with third
stage contractions. The effects of intravenous
"hypophysin" were also observed on time of delivery
of the placenta.
In another investigation, Haselhorst (1928b)
measured blood pressure changes in the intact
umbilical cord [3]. The cord was temporarily tied with
a thin strip of rubber tubing, while the needle from the
manometer was inserted in the umbilical vein to
measure blood pressure from the placenta.
Measurements were made after the temporary tie was
removed. Blood flow into the infant continued for two
to three minutes before tapering off.
Haselhorst provides many other useful references to
the older literature. As can be seen, much data was
gathered in investgations of the early twentieth and
nineteenth centuries. What I present here is by no
means all that could be mined from research of the
past.
The research of Haselhorst, and of Budin and
Schucking was also summarized in an English
language paper by Frischkorn and Rucker (1939),
which they cited for comparison with their data on the
effect of umbilical cord clamping on red blood counts
in infants.
- Haselhorst G (1929) Uber
Art und Dauer der
Blutstromung in den
Nabelschnurgefassen post
partum.
- Haselhorst G (1928a) Zum
plazentaren Kreislauf unter
der Geburt.
- Haselhorst G (1928b) Zum
plazentaaren Kreislauf unter
der Geburt.
- Frischkorn HB , Rucker MP
(1939) The relationship of
the time of ligation of the
cord to the red blood count of
the infant.
- 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.