Mothers are encouraged by IMaH Midwife to tolerate a delay in cutting their children's umbilical cords

Mothers are encouraged by a Senior Midwife at the International Maritime Hospital (IMaH) in Tema to tolerate a delay in the cutting and clamping of their children's umbilical cords during birth because it is highly beneficial to their health.

"Delaying the cutting and clamping of the umbilical cord means that midwives and doctors give some time after birth before cutting and clamping." "In some hospitals, intentionally delaying cord-cutting has become policy," said Ms. Rosemary Fosuaa, a senior nurse at IMaH.

Ms. Fosuaa, supported by Ms. Millicent Asante, also a senior midwife at IMaH, said this at the weekly "Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility! A Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office initiative aimed at promoting health-related communication and providing a platform for health information dissemination to influence personal health choices through improved health literacy

The Ghana News Agency's Tema Regional Office developed the public health advocacy platform "Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility" to investigate the components of four health communication approaches: informing, instructing, convincing, and promoting.

Ms. Fosuaa, speaking on the theme "Family Planning and Ante-Natal Care," which was monitored by the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) explained that the chord connects the baby in the stomach to the placenta, allowing oxygen and food nutrients to travel from the mother to the baby during the gestation period.

She went on to add that after birth, the chord that was still linked to the placenta was routinely severed and clamped; she claims that this was a common technique when it was cut immediately to divorce the newborn from the placenta.

She, on the other hand, maintained that studies had shown that delayed cord cutting was more advantageous than quick cutting, adding that delaying allows the baby's body to absorb the rich nutrients and blood that were still present between the cord and placenta at birth.

According to Ms. Asante, such blood and iron absorption into the baby's body raises their haemoglobin levels at birth, hence increasing their iron reserve.

This, she explained, helps avoid anaemia in children throughout their first few months on the planet, contributing to their overall growth.

"When the cord is delayed," Ms. Asante highlighted, "it builds up the baby's immune system so that even if he doesn't eat well, he will still be strong and not anaemic."

Mr. Francis Ameyibor, Regional Manager of Ghana News Agency Tema, stressed the need of health education in ensuring that people are knowledgeable about healthy living.

He believes that constant public health education has the ability to reduce risky behaviours, alert people to emergency situations, and encourage individuals to visit health facilities whether they are sick or healthy.

-CDA Consult