A blood culture obtained through an umbilical artery catheter shortly after placement
for other clinical indications is an acceptable alternative to a culture drawn from a peripheral vein.The risk of recovering a contaminant is greate with a blood culture drawn from an umbilical vein.There are, however, data to suggest that a blood culture drawn from the umbilical vein at the time of delivery using a doubly clamped and adequately prepared segment of the cord is a reliable alternative to a culture obtained peripherally