Clamping the umbilical cord straight after birth is bad for a baby's health

Immediate cord clamping disrupts the natural birth process and may cause harm to some babies by depriving them of essential blood and stem cells. [iStockphoto]

Clamping and cutting a baby's umbilical cord as soon as it is born can be bad for its health.

The World Health Organisation advises that clamping should be delayed for two to three minutes after the baby has been born, and the UK watchdog NICE advises midwives and obstetricians not to clamp the cord earlier than one minute after the birth. But in nearly a third of cases, this doesn't appear to be happening.