Cord Blood Stem Cells Information

Why do we need to remove our umbilical cord?

When we are just born into this world, the doctors will cut off our umbilical cords. Why is it animals do not need to have their umbilical cords removed? What cause their umbilical cords to fall off by themselves? If the umbilical cords of animals can fall off themselves, why do doctors bother to cut off ours? Wouldn't ours also fall off themselves?

Public Comments

1. Animals cut their own cords-- with their teeth. Cutting it is a bit more sanitary!
2. Would you rather see a baby being carried around with 3 feet of dried up nasty umbilical cord?? That just sounds icky. And there is a piece that is left on the babies, that falls off after a week or so.
3. The umbilical cord is not cut off at the base, but a little way up, and it does heal and fall off the rest of the way in a week or two. The umbilical cord is attached to the placenta, and it would not be fun for the baby to drag that around for a week or two. Mother animals often eat the placenta, or chew it off, then the cord heals and falls off by itself.
4. Because it would be very awkward to carry a baby around with a 18" to 3 foot long cord attached to a placenta that can be stretched at least 2 feet wide to a baby. It just seems easier to cut the cord near the skin so that you only have a stump to fall off. Personally, I have appreciated not having to carry around a decaying placenta while I wait for the umbilical cord to fall off. There are some cultures that do do this. I am not sure why. But as a mother of 5 children I have appreciated the short cord. God Bless. mom of 5 w/ #6 due Nov 08
5. When they cut the cord, there is still a small piece attached that eventually falls off. The reason they cut it, is because it has no importance once the baby is born. They don't keep it long for obvious reasons, as it would be in the way.
6. The umbilical cord is connected to the placenta, which is not very convenient to carry around when you're showing off the little bundle of joy. We cut it for convenience.
7. I don't know about all animals, but have seen some chew it off their newborn.
8. Animals also eat their placenta, should we do that?
9. just to add ,,,the cord is attached to the mother and feeds the yet to be born baby through the cord,,,once born the baby feeds thru its mouth,,,,the cord is redundant
10. the doctor only cuts the cord and leaves the rest on baby while the other is left on the placenta. the cord will dry up and fall off after a couple of weeks as it is no longer needed to keep baby alive and there is nothing to keep it there anyway.