Child birth has a lot of scary and enriching aspects to it, but the real joy comes when you finally get to meet your baby. Every mom-to-be hopes that their baby is healthy and cleared of any issues when they enter the world. A new study finally clears up if there is a way to make your baby smarter based on a simple step doctors can execute right after birth. Could it be as easy as it sounds? Read on to find out.
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Many delayed cord cutting advocates believe that leaving the umbilical cord connected to the baby for an additional few minutes after birth allows for more nutrients and oxygen from the placenta to flow through the baby's body and brain. The idea is that the baby will turn out to have a healthier brain and be smarter if parents urge doctors to take this extra step, but is there any truth to it?
A new study by the Journal of the American Medical Association claims that cutting the umbilical cord later doesn't necessary increase babies IQ's. The University of Sweden compared cases from over 200 children–with about 140 having had their umbilical cords cut a few minutes after birth instead of right away.
They found that no difference in the neurodevelopment between both groups, but there was one glaring contrast. Parents with children who had the umbilical cord delayed reported to have advanced motor and pro-social skills–especially among boys.
This is the first study that really tackles this topic, which tells me that there's still a lot to learn. Talk to your doctor about what works best for you and your baby-to-be.
Image via Corbis
