The umbilical cord of a newborn can be safely and effectively used for taking blood in certain circumstances, according to a report recently published in Pediatrics.
This can help avoid having to stick the child with a needle, which can be an uncomfortable process. Blood-taking shortly after birth is often necessary among vulnerable infants, including those with fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT).
Blood-taking can be a painful procedure, especially among newborns who typically have tiny veins. One of the primary goals of newborn care is to reduce pain as much as possible, including during routine medical procedures.
The good news is that the umbilical cord contains fetal blood that can be used for blood-taking. Studies suggest that umbilical cord blood can be withdrawn for various purposes, such as blood typing, cross-matching and other important tests. However, doctors must ensure that the umbilical cord remains clamped while blood withdrawal takes place.
There are numerous, well-documented benefits to using the umbilical cord for blood-taking after birth. For example, it ensures that the child maintains a high volume of blood cells, since blood is not taken directly from the child’s body. It also eliminates the risk that blood withdrawal from the child’s body results in low blood pressure. Blood-taking from the umbilical cord allows a greater volume of blood to be taken for testing, which is important when checking for the presence of bacterial infection.
Read more about FNAIT testing and diagnosis
Blood taken from the umbilical cord can be used for newborn screening in specific circumstances, such as in preterm or critically ill term infants, but most newborns will require a regular blood draw. Umbilical cord blood can also be used to determine the cause of death for stillborn infants or those who die shortly after delivery.
Testing newborns’ blood can identify diseases present from birth. The sooner doctors diagnose certain diseases, the sooner they can initiate appropriate therapies.
Given the considerable benefits of blood withdrawal from the umbilical cord, doctors should focus on this method of blood-taking whenever feasible, the authors wrote. The best way to implement blood-taking from the umbilical cord is to do so in a multidisciplinary setting, meaning that doctors from different medical disciplines come together to work as a team for the benefit of the patient. This allows expertise to be shared and reduces the risk that mistakes occur.
“Postnatal cord blood sampling is a safe, accurate and effective procedure that can be additive to our care benefiting neonates and improving outcomes,” the authors wrote.
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This article was originally published on Aug. 14, 2025, and was updated on Mar. 3, 2026.
