Comparison with pulmonary syndrome in human infants
		"In fact there is no reason why the cord should be clamped at all and since 1961 I have been advocating and practising delivery of the infant and placenta together as one unit, both being laid together at the same level and the cord only ligated after respiration has been established and all pulsation has ceased.
			It is of interest that this practice was widely followed throughout most of the world until the recent spread of Western civilisation.  Even today it is still adhered to in many isolated and primitive communities.   It is of course practised by many animals.
			In this context it was with tremendous interest that I read of Mahaffey and Rossdale's (1959) observation that "barkers" were never found among foals born in the open field but only among those delivered indoors with human supervision, including early ligature and division of the umbilical cord."

Dunn (1972) acknowledged the importance of observations on the convulsive
foal syndrome for understanding respiratory distress in human infants, which
he described as a maladaptation to extrauterine life, most frequently in
preterm infants.  He discussed deficiency of surfactant in preterm infants and
frequent association with Caesarean section as etiological factors.  The child
delivered by Caesarean, "is often born in a state of blue asphyxia -- apnoeic
and cyanosed, yet with vigorous cord pulsation...  In most cases the pulsating
umbilical cord is clamped at once to allow the obstetrician to complete the
operation."  Dunn commented further: