“Allowing mom and baby to stay physically attached for just a few seconds longer could save that newborn’s life, says new research from Baylor University Medical Center’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

The research, conducted through Baylor Research Institute (BRI) and to be published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, found that waiting 45 seconds before clamping the umbilical cord reduces a preemie’s risk of bleeding in the brain. Cord blood, packed with vital stem cells and immunoglobulins, pumped seconds after birth can help the child’s body repair itself naturally, the research found.”