Cord Clamping Among Neonates With Congenital Heart Disease

Trial details

Who runs it

Carl Backes, MD

Trial code

NCT06153459

Record updated

12 August 2026

Original description

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare 2 different timepoints for clamping the umbilical cord at birth for term-born infants with a prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD). The main questions it aims to answer are:Read full original descriptionShow less

CORD-CHD: Clamp OR Delay Among Neonates With Congenital Heart Disease

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare 2 different timepoints for clamping the umbilical cord at birth for term-born infants with a prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD). The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Does Delayed Cord Clamping at 120 seconds (DCC-120) or Delayed Cord Clamping at 30 seconds (DCC-30) after birth lead to better health outcomes? * Does DCC-120 seconds or DCC-30 seconds after birth lead to better neuromotor outcomes at 22-26 months of infant age (postnatal)?

Participants will be asked to do the following:

* Participate in either DCC-120 or DCC-30 at birth (randomized assignment). * Complete General Movements Assessment (GMA) at 3-4 months of infant age (postnatal), complete questionnaires / surveys at this time. * Complete questionnaires / surveys at 9-12 months of infant age (postnatal). * Complete Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE), Developmental Assessment of Young Children 2 Edition (DAYC-2), and questionnaires / surveys at 22-26 months of infant age (postnatal). * Permit data collection from electronic medical records for both the mother and infant study participants.

Investigators will compare DCC-120 vs. DCC-30 to see which approach is more beneficial to both the mother and baby with CHD.

Inclusion: Fetal diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD) by prenatal ultrasound / echocardiography from local fetal ECHO, conducted on or after 18 weeks of gestation and prior to randomization. The study fetal diagnosis of CHD must be rated as 3 - 6 on the Fetal Cardiovascular Disease Severity Score (FCDSS), as determined by independent evaluators at the CORD-CHD trial ECHO Core at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (to determine final FCDSS eligibility for randomization); For each potential participant that has provided consent, the most relevant diagnostic prenatal ultrasound will be uploaded (shared) between 32 weeks of gestation and randomization for review by the ECHO Core. The ECHO Core will make the final FCDSS determination for eligibility status and stratification assignment.]; [NOTE: A fetal diagnosis of CHD rated as 3 - 6 FCDSS per local review, including borderline cases, will be used to determine preliminary eligibility for consent. Among borderline cases, eligible patients will be included if there is a reasonable expectation of the need for surgery or cardiac catheterization during the birth hospitalization.]; Singleton gestation; Gestational age at randomization for impending deliveries between 37 0/7 - 41 6/7 weeks of gestation inclusive based on clinical information and evaluation of the earliest ultrasound determined using criteria proposed by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine; [NOTE: Pregnant individuals who were admitted to the delivery hospital prior to 37 0/7 weeks of gestation remain eligible to randomize, provided they deliver within the 37 0/7 and 41 6/7 weeks "eligibility window". Alternatively, if an eligible dyad is randomized at or just prior to 41 6/7 weeks, they remain in trial.]; Consent for the participant and their infant.

Exclusion: Fetal demise or planned termination of pregnancy prior to randomization; Tachyarrhythmia requiring transplacental therapy; Planned fetal surgery; Disease or disorder impacting candidacy for neonatal cardiac interventions; Compromise of the pregnant individual (e.g., vasa previa, placental accreta with hypotension, placental abruption, amniotic fluid embolism, uterine rupture, uterine inversion, disseminated intravascular coagulation), as determined by local care team; [NOTE: There is no limitation on pregnant individual's age]; Fetal Exclusion Criteria:; Pregnant individual is a gestational carrier or surrogate; Fetal hydrops, severe; Diaphragmatic hernia, omphalocele, gastroschisis, intestinal atresia; Major chromosomal defects (e.g., Trisomy 13, 18) identified prenatally; Trisomy 21 is allowed; Parents choosing to limit treatment; Pregnancy Exclusion Criteria:; Delivery planned at an institution not affiliated with or does not refer to a CORD-CHD participating site; Participation in another prenatal interventional study that influences cord clamping or perinatal morbidity or mortality.

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06153459