Lotus birth: an uncommon birth practice with possible neonatal complications

Lotus birth, also known as umbilical cord non-severance, is the uncommon birth practice of leaving the placenta attached to the umbilical cord following delivery. This article reports the case of a baby with a non-severed umbilical cord who was admitted to the neonatal unit with possible neonatal sepsis. The practice of Lotus birth is reviewed to inform healthcare practitioners and raise awareness of its potential risks in the neonatal period.

Ahmed Yousef
Locum Neonatal Consultant, City Hospital Birmingham, Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust
ahmed.yousef3@nhs.net
orcid.org/0000-0001-5009-1631

Yousef A. Lotus birth: an uncommon birth practice with possible neonatal complications. Infant 2023; 19(4): 139-40.

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Keywords

Lotus birth; umbilical non-severance; umbilical cord; neonatal sepsis

Key points

Lotus birth is not a common birth practice and academic literature is scarce.
Healthcare practitioners need to be familiar with management of a Lotus birth.
The article describes the case of a Lotus birth baby admitted to the neonatal unit with tachypnoea and possible neonatal sepsis.
It is important to ascertain whether umbilical cord non-severance is associated with neonatal complications; staff are encouraged to report such cases and gather epidemiological data.

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