Short umbilical cord: causes, consequences for the child and mother

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Doctors call the umbilical cord the umbilical cord. It connects a small embryo, which later becomes a fetus, to the placenta. With the help of such a kind of "bridge" the child's body is connected with the mother throughout the entire period of pregnancy. Communication is maintained until the very birth. There are norms for the length of the strand, but in some cases it can be longer or shorter. Both a short umbilical cord and a long one can have negative consequences.

After the baby is born, the umbilical cord is cut, clamping with a special clip from the side of the baby. After that, a small “process” remains on the baby’s body, which eventually dries up and disappears. Mommy takes care of the umbilical wound until it heals completely.

When does the rest of the umbilical cord fall off?

When does a newborn's umbilical cord fall off? In most cases, this occurs approximately 10 days after the appearancebaby into the world. But sometimes it happens a little earlier or, on the contrary, later. A range of 4 to 14 days after the baby is born is considered normal.

The process of cord rejection is natural, so there is no need to speed it up. Everything should flow spontaneously. The main thing is to understand that the rest of the umbilical cord dries out a little faster if you provide free air access to this area. When the umbilical cord falls off in a newborn, a small open wound forms in its place. A neonatologist will tell mom how to take care of her while still in the hospital.

Functions of the cord, its structure and features of blood circulation

The described organ begins to form as early as the second week of bearing a child. As it grows, the length of the umbilical cord also increases. Normally, it can reach 60 cm and be 2 cm in diameter. The umbilical cord is quite dense and covered with special membranes.

The main function of the umbilical cord is to supply the fetus with nutrients and remove metabolic products. Inside the cord are two arteries and one vein. These vessels are shrouded in Wharton's jelly, and therefore are reliably protected from rupture or pinching. The fetus receives oxygen and nutrients through the vein, and the spent venous blood from the baby's body to the placenta is discharged through the arteries. Also in the umbilical cord there is a vitelline duct and urachus. The first transports nutrients from the yolk sac, and the second is a channel connecting the patient and the bladder.

Length is OK

The length of the umbilical cord canbe different. Even in the same woman with different pregnancies, this indicator changes. Scientists have found that the length of the cord is approximately 40-70 cm.

Thanks to this, the fetus freely makes active movements in the womb. If the umbilical cord is short, then this can be fraught with negative consequences. Below we will look at them in more detail.

Umbilical cord length below normal

Short umbilical cord is quite common. Doctors distinguish between an absolutely short cord and a relatively short umbilical cord. The first is less than 40 cm long and is much more common than the second. For a relatively short strand, the indicator remains normal, however, it decreases due to some factors:

• When wrapped around certain parts of the child's body.
• In the process of forming knots on the umbilical cord: true and false. The former are extremely rare and are true knots. The second is a varicose expansion of one of the vessels, the accumulation of Wharton's jelly, twisting of the vessels. They are not dangerous.

Symptoms of deviation

Many mothers are interested in whether it is possible to detect the described pathology in advance. During pregnancy, there are usually no symptoms, and signs of abnormality can only be spoken of when labor begins. After all, the length of the umbilical cord is an individual indicator. The main symptom that may indicate a problem during pregnancy is fetal hypoxia. This marker is relative, and the doctor may prescribeadditional examinations.

If labor has already begun, then a short umbilical cord may be indicated by acute bleeding from the vagina and prolonged labor (more than 20 hours for nulliparous and more than 15 hours for multiparous).

Diagnostic tests

It is quite difficult to diagnose the described pathology. However, the doctor can send mommy for the following tests:

• Ultrasound. During the study, the doctor may notice the appearance of nodes, entanglement of the fetus, anomalies in the development of blood vessels. Based on the results of the examination, it is possible to make an assumption about the presence of a deviation. However, no one will say for sure.
• Doppler study. This technique is quite informative. Thanks to it, you can observe the movement of blood through the vessels of the umbilical cord. If the process is disrupted, then there is a risk of anomalies developing. But even here the doctor cannot make a completely accurate diagnosis.
• Regular examination by a gynecologist. The doctor monitors the baby's heartbeat and, if abnormalities are detected, may suspect the presence of a shortened umbilical cord.
• Cardiotocography. According to this technique, a synchronous computer recording of the contractions of the infant's heart muscle and its activity is carried out. After that, the obtained data are compared with uterine contractions. If there is no connection between these processes, we can talk about the presence of a short umbilical cord.

If ultrasound accurately indicates pathology, this will allow doctors to prepare the expectant mother in timeto a caesarean section. So, we found out what a short umbilical cord means. Surely you want to know about the consequences of the pathology and what doctors usually do when a problem is detected.

Consequences

What complications can you face if it suddenly turns out that the cord is short? The consequences can be quite serious. Here are the most common ones:

• Difficulty giving birth.
• Baby moves through the birth canal too slowly.
• Fetal heart failure.
• There is a risk of birth trauma to the mother.
• There is an acute hypoxia of the child.
• The risk of injury to varicose vessels increases.
• In some cases, the cord begins to bleed or break.
• When the umbilical cord is pulled too hard, placental abruption occurs.

The consequences of a short umbilical cord during childbirth are especially dangerous for a baby. Hypoxia can lead to impaired psychological functions.

What do doctors do when they find a problem?

We figured out why the fetus has a short umbilical cord and what consequences this may have. Let's see what doctors do when they find such a problem. So, a number of measures are being taken to reduce risks:

• The expectant mother is hospitalized until the very birth, especially if there is a suspicion of repeated entanglement of the umbilical cord around the neck.
• Doctors perform an emergency caesarean section if the baby is severely lacking oxygen.
• Elective caesarean section is scheduled when a threat to the life of the child is detected after a diagnostic examination.
• If it is found that the umbilical cord is short already in the process of childbirth, the doctor performs a perineal dissection.

Even with a minimal risk of pathology, the expectant mother must be prepared for anything. Under medical supervision, it will be possible to eliminate complications and negative consequences for the he alth of the baby and the woman in labor.

Single wrapping

The umbilical cord can become short as a result of a single entanglement of the umbilical cord around the neck. It may not be tight and tight.

In the first case, the loops of the cord are located at some distance from the body of the fetus. Thanks to this, the baby can unravel. In addition, there is no compression of the internal organs of the child, which does not entail the development of dangerous pathologies. And if the pregnant woman has no other abnormalities, the baby can be born naturally.

If a single entanglement of the umbilical cord around the baby's neck is tight, then in this case the prognosis is less favorable. With such a clinical picture, the risk of developing hypoxia is very high. A tight entanglement can lead to clamping of the umbilical cord in some areas. As a result, blood flow decreases and oxygen starvation of the fetus develops. With such a pathology, doctors must send the patient for dopplerography, which allows you to assess the degree of change in blood flow in the vessels of the umbilical cord.

Double twist

Double twistan umbilical cord around the neck is a fairly common complication of pregnancy. With such a pathology, the cord encircles one of the parts of the fetal body twice. Thanks to modern clinical technologies, it has become possible to carry out childbirth without consequences for the mother and child, even in such a situation. Depending on the type of entanglement, the doctor chooses the appropriate method of delivery. However, if there is a tight double entanglement of the umbilical cord around the neck or a triple one, then most likely the expectant mother will be sent for a caesarean section.

How to treat?

Even though modern medicine has gone ahead, today there are no methods of treating a short umbilical cord, neither medication nor physiotherapy. The only thing is that the doctor, if this pathology is suspected, can hospitalize the expectant mother and prescribe additional examinations for her, especially when it comes to multiple entanglement. Based on the situation, a planned or emergency caesarean section is prescribed. Only regular monitoring by a doctor will allow the mother to identify the problem in time and avoid consequences.

What not to do? Preventive measures

If the umbilical cord is short for physiological reasons, then it is impossible to lengthen it. However, if the cord becomes smaller due to the child's severe hyperactivity, then the situation can be changed. So what not to do during pregnancy? How to prevent the development of pathology?

• Do your best to avoid situations that lead to oxygen starvation. Proper nutrition, walks, as well asdrinking enough clean water.
• Do breathing exercises, because it helps to saturate the body with oxygen.
• Don't be nervous, otherwise your anxiety will be transferred to the fetus.
• Don't miss your doctor's check-ups, get all your check-ups and tests.
• Listen to soothing music, talk to your baby to calm him down.

The main thing is that you should not be nervous during pregnancy, as this condition increases the motor activity of the fetus.

Harbingers of childbirth

Do you want to know how to determine the harbingers of childbirth at 38 weeks of gestation or other terms? Correctly! This will allow you to mentally prepare for the birth of the baby.

So, some mothers notice the first signs of approaching labor as early as the 36th or 37th week of pregnancy. However, there are those that indicate that the baby will be born today or tomorrow.

First of all, mommy's stomach drops. This indicates that the fetal head has descended into the small pelvis. In women who give birth to a child for the first time, this phenomenon is observed at the 34-36th week of pregnancy. In multiparous women, the belly may drop a few days before delivery or already at the onset of labor. Such a harbinger of childbirth at the 38th week of pregnancy is very noticeable to others. In addition, the expectant mother notices that she has become easier to breathe, and between her chest and stomach, you can easily place her hand. However, at this point, the pressure on the bladder increases, which leads to morefrequent urination.

You should also know that the nature of vaginal discharge changes at the end of pregnancy. Indeed, in the cervical canal throughout the entire period of gestation, there is a cork, which is a clot of pink or brown mucus. In some cases, it departs at the 36th or 37th week of pregnancy, and sometimes the day before the onset of labor, in whole or in part. Another harbinger of childbirth is a weight loss of 1-1.5 kg. This indicates a decrease in edema and the amount of amniotic fluid. In addition, during this period, mommy may notice that false training contractions become more frequent. They are painless, but sometimes they can be accompanied by aching pain in the lumbar region and lower abdomen. These contractions differ from real contractions in that they are irregular. In addition, a few days before the onset of labor, a pregnant woman may experience diarrhea, as well as nausea or vomiting. This is due to the fact that hormonal changes occur in the body of the expectant mother.

Another harbinger of childbirth is the “nesting” instinct. The future mother, who was weak until quite recently, suddenly starts spring cleaning, cooks all day and so on. This is normal, but it is very important not to overwork yourself here, as a process that requires a lot of effort from you will begin soon.

Every woman dreams of a he althy baby. And if suddenly you find that the length of the umbilical cord is below normal, do not panic. Experienced doctors will do everything possible to ensure that your child appears onlight without consequences. The main thing is to follow all the recommendations.