Timing of Umbilical Cord Clamping in Newborns With Heart Disease

Plain-English translation of NCT06153459 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated August 2025 · Translation generated June 2026 · How we translate trials

This study doesn't follow the usual testing phases — it may be an observational study or a different type of research.

What is this trial?

This trial is testing the timing of when doctors clamp the umbilical cord after a baby with congenital heart disease is born. Babies in this study will be randomly assigned to have their cord clamped either around 30 seconds after birth or around 120 seconds (2 minutes) after birth. Researchers want to know if waiting longer to clamp the cord gives babies better overall health and development outcomes.

Delaying cord clamping allows more blood from the placenta to flow to the baby, which may help newborns—especially those with heart conditions—get more oxygen and important nutrients. Doctors aren't sure yet whether waiting longer to clamp the cord specifically helps babies born with significant heart disease, so this trial aims to answer that question.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

your baby has been diagnosed with congenital heart disease (a heart condition present at birth) by prenatal ultrasound before 32 weeks of pregnancy
your baby's heart condition is rated as moderate to severe (scoring 3–6 on a severity scale used by the research team)
you are carrying a single baby (not twins or multiples)
you are expected to deliver between 37 and 41 weeks of pregnancy
you and your baby's father (or legal representative) have given informed consent to participate

You likely don't qualify if…

you are a gestational carrier or surrogate for another family
you have a serious pregnancy complication that makes waiting to clamp the cord unsafe (such as placental abruption or uterine rupture)
your baby has a severe heart rhythm problem requiring special treatment during pregnancy
your baby has other major birth defects (such as diaphragmatic hernia, major chromosomal problems like Trisomy 13 or 18, or conditions that would prevent heart surgery)
your baby has already died or you have decided to end the pregnancy

What participation looks like

When your baby is born, doctors will randomly assign you to one of two groups: one where the umbilical cord is clamped around 30 seconds after delivery, or one where it is clamped around 120 seconds after delivery. If there is an emergency and your doctor cannot wait 60 seconds in the longer-delay group, they may gently squeeze the cord to push blood to your baby instead. After birth, your baby will be followed with standard heart care and developmental assessments at 22–26 months of age to see how well they are doing.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 2, 2026 · Not medical advice

Timing of Umbilical Cord Clamping in Newborns With Heart Disease

What is this trial?

Do you qualify?

What participation looks like

Trial locations(21 sites)