Expectant mothers often use Chinese greetings to say to their unborn babies: Have you eaten? Of course, our babies enjoy the same nutrient-rich substances as their mothers. The placenta and umbilical cord are the baby\’s main sources of nutrition.
The important bond between mother and baby
What is the umbilical cord? One end of the umbilical cord is connected to the umbilical chakra of the fetus, and the other end is connected to the placenta. There are 3 channels in the umbilical cord: 2 umbilical arteries and 1 umbilical vein, surrounded by water-rich gelatinous connective tissue called Wharton\’s glue, which protects the umbilical blood vessels, is covered by amniotic membrane, and is free in amniotic fluid. The umbilical cord is an important channel for fetal nutrient supply, gas exchange and excretion of metabolic products. When the fetus is full term, the umbilical cord is about 3070 cm long, with an average length of 50 cm and a diameter of 1.02.5 cm. It is usually twisted into a spiral shape.
Umbilical cord abnormalities
Common abnormalities of the umbilical cord include being too long, too short, or wrapping around the neck. Umbilical cord abnormalities can easily block the blood flow of umbilical cord vessels, causing fetal ischemia and hypoxia, leading to adverse consequences.
Abnormal umbilical cord length
An umbilical cord longer than 70 cm is called a long umbilical cord, and an umbilical cord shorter than 30 cm is called a short umbilical cord. The umbilical cord is too long and can easily wrap around the neck and limbs, and can also become knotted and twisted. In most cases, accidents do not occur. However, when the fetus is active or in labor, the umbilical cord is compressed or tightened, which can cause fetal hypoxia, cause intrauterine distress, and lead to stillbirth and stillbirth. If the umbilical cord is too short, the umbilical cord blood vessels will be compressed, twitched, and deprived of oxygen due to traction, affecting the nutrition and excretion of the fetus, resulting in stunted development. During delivery, the fetal presentation is affected, resulting in prolonged labor, and in severe cases, placental abruption; due to the decreased fetal presentation, the umbilical cord is excessively stretched, affecting the blood supply of the fetus, causing intrauterine distress, and even the umbilical cord being severed. endanger the life of the fetus.
Umbilical cord around neck
The incidence of umbilical cord wrapping around the neck is 13% to 25%. When the fetus moves in the womb, the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby\’s neck (and of course around other parts of the baby). With the development of ultrasound technology, umbilical cord entanglement can be detected in the third trimester of pregnancy. Whether the umbilical cord wraps around the neck will cause consequences depends mainly on the length and tightness of the umbilical cord. The longer the umbilical cord is, the looser it is, which generally does not cause fetal hypoxia; often during postpartum fetal movements or fetal head descent, the umbilical cord is tightened or compressed, causing fetal hypoxia. Of course, if detected in time and the fetal hypoxia has not reached the decompensation stage, terminating the pregnancy as early as possible can save the life of the fetus.
umbilical cord prolapse
Umbilical cord prolapse is a serious and sudden condition that occurs in approximately 0.4% to 10% of cases. The umbilical cord is in front or on the side of the fetal presentation. Before the fetal membranes rupture, it is called umbilical cord presentation; after premature rupture of fetal membranes, the umbilical cord falls off with the amniotic fluid, is lower than the fetal presentation, enters the vagina through the cervix, and even prolapses in the vulva. This is called cord prolapse. Umbilical cord prolapse is often caused by abnormal fetal position, such as breech position or high fetal head. After the fetal membranes rupture, umbilical cord prolapse leads to the release of amniotic fluid.. Once umbilical cord prolapse occurs, umbilical cord blood flow will be quickly blocked, and the fetus may suffer acute hypoxia or even die in the womb. Therefore, if the fetal membranes rupture spontaneously before labor, the mother should lie on her back to prevent umbilical cord prolapse.
Other exceptions
Some less common umbilical cord abnormalities include:
umbilical cord edema
thin umbilical cord
knotted umbilical cord
missing umbilical cord
The umbilical cord is attached to the fetal membranes
Testing and Treatment Methods
Regarding the abnormality of the umbilical cord, there is currently no good method (including B-ultrasound) to detect it. It is also impossible to measure the length of the fetal umbilical cord in utero and judge the tightness of the umbilical cord winding. But there are other ways to know if your fetus is hypoxic:
1. Self-monitor and count fetal movements. When there is too much or too little fetal movement, you should go to the hospital for examination in time.
2. Indirect methods such as fetal heart rate monitoring and ultrasound examination should be strengthened to determine the fetal condition.
3. Understand the fetal position before delivery.
Most pregnant mothers feel panicked and nervous about umbilical cord abnormalities, but this is not necessary. As long as regular prenatal check-ups are carried out, umbilical cord abnormalities can be detected early, monitored in real time, timely response measures can be taken during delivery, and appropriate delivery methods can be selected, mainly to save the fetus from danger.