Objective To understand the awareness and practice of delayed cord clamping (DCC) among obstetric medical staff in Jiangsu Province.

Design Cross-sectional study.

Setting Obstetricians and midwives practicing in Jiangsu Province, China.

Participants Create an online survey using the Wenjuanxing APP, and have the QR code link distributed by hospital administrators to the WeChat groups of obstetricians and midwives in hospitals, inviting them to participate in the survey.

Outcome The questionnaire includes 28 items covering the respondents’ basic information, their knowledge and understanding of DCC, and its implementation status. Data analysis was based on frequencies and descriptive statistics.

Results A total of 1001 people completed and submitted the questionnaire, with 866 included in the detailed analysis. This included 460 obstetricians (52.0%) and 406 midwives (48.1%). Among them, 50.7% reported being very familiar with DCC. 81.2% of respondents reported routinely implementing DCC, with midwives (91.4%) having a higher implementation rate than obstetricians (72.2%). In cases of cesarean section (89.8%), preterm birth (82.9%), and twin or multiple births (61.5%), most respondents chose to implement DCC. In cases of maternal infectious diseases, fewer chose to implement DCC: hepatitis B (31.9%), syphilis (24.4%), and HIV (18.4%). The main reasons for not implementing DCC were maternal bleeding or other emergencies (92.7%) and the need for neonatal resuscitation (88.8%).

Conclusion The awareness and implementation rate of DCC among obstetric medical staff in Jiangsu Province are relatively high, but there are differences in specific details of cognition and practice, and no standard protocols have been formed. The application of DCC should continue to be promoted, and the early introduction of localized practice guidelines and standards should be advocated.

Strengths and limitations of the study

☞ The survey covers all cities in Jiangsu Province, China, involving hospitals of different levels and natures. The work experience of the medical staff varies widely, which gives this survey a certain degree of representativeness.

☞ WeChat is the most widely used social software among Chinese people. Directly sending the survey to the medical staff WeChat groups in various hospitals can improve the response rate.

☞ Compared to other studies, this study’s survey items are more detailed, including the implementation of DCC in many special situations such as twins, cesarean sections, and maternal infectious diseases, providing a reference for practitioners.

☞ Jiangsu Province is located in the eastern coastal region of China and is one of the most economically developed regions in China. Medical staff there are relatively innovative in acquiring professional knowledge and more easily integrate it into practice, so the implementation rate of DCC should be higher than the national level.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

This study was supported by Clinical Research Special Fund of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital (2024-LCYJ-PY-07), Jiangsu Provincial Hospital Management Innovation Research Project (JSYGY-3-2024-651).

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

Yes

The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:

This study was approved by Medical Ethics Committee of Tower Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University Medical school (Ethics code: 2024-142-01).

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