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Can a baby get tangled in the umbilical cord? Umbilical cord wrap. What expectant mothers need to know

During the pregnancy, and possibly even earlier, the expectant mother more than once could hear exciting stories about the birth of a child with an umbilical cord entwined, which made her heart skip a beat with fear. What can happen in such a situation? How to prevent it? Let's look at this issue.

What is an umbilical cord?

Umbilical cord or umbilical cord- a connective tissue cord that connects the child to the mother through the placenta. In the thickness of this strand, one vein passes, which supplies the baby with oxygen and nutrients, and two arteries that carry the metabolic products of the fetus. Normally, the umbilical cord has a length of 40 to 60 cm and a width of about 2 cm. Sometimes doctors are faced with the problem of the length of the umbilical cord (more than 70 cm) or vice versa short (up to 35-40 cm). One of the complications of a long umbilical cord is that it becomes entwined around parts of the fetal body and forms knots. Distinguish single and multiple, isolated (around one part of the body) and combined (for example, around the neck and body), tight and loose entanglement with the umbilical cord.

Reasons for entanglement

Predisposing factors for the formation of nodes and entanglement in the umbilical cord are:

  • intrauterine fetal hypoxia ();
  • , in which the level of adrenaline in the blood increases;

All these factors, taken together or separately, can lead to increased mobility of the fetus and a greater range of movements, during which it becomes entangled and entwined in its umbilical cord. I would like to note that kids have the ability to get out of such a situation on their own. Therefore, in case of diagnosis () “one-time umbilical cord entanglement around the neck” is not yet a reason to panic. Rather, this is a signal for the expectant mother and the obstetrician leading the pregnancy to be a little more attentive to the real pregnancy.

How does birth occur when entwined?

Umbilical cord entanglement of fetal parts is not a pathological condition of pregnancy; it occurs in 25% of women, and the vast majority of births occur without complications. Such births are no different from ordinary ones, they only require more careful monitoring of the condition of the fetus and the birth process itself through constant and long-term monitoring of the fetal heartbeat.

Information The most common type of umbilical cord entanglement is wrapping around the neck baby (usually one-time, non-tight), which, as a rule, does not pose any danger to him. Immediately after the birth of the head, the obstetrician simply frees the baby's neck from the umbilical cord loops, and then the birth proceeds as usual.

Only repeated tight entanglement with the umbilical cord can be dangerous. Under such circumstances, already in the first stage of labor, signs of oxygen starvation of the fetus will be recorded. In this case, the obstetrician may choose to perform an emergency caesarean section.

Threats and consequences

An important criterion for the baby’s condition is not the presence of entanglement itself, but the signs of hypoxia for this reason. The most difficult situation arises if, due to entanglement, the vessels of the umbilical cord are compressed, and the blood flow in it is disrupted, and therefore the delivery of nutrients and oxygen. Then the child, while still in utero, begins to suffer from a lack of oxygen, which requires constant medical monitoring. If the condition of the fetus deteriorates, then already at term

When, after the next ultrasound, expectant mothers hear the diagnosis of “umbilical cord entwined in the neck,” they are very frightened. They see a terrible picture: an unborn child is suffocating from the noose that the umbilical cord has become for him. But there is no need to be afraid. The baby in the womb is not breathing yet, so it cannot suffocate. Nothing bad will happen if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck. After all, the baby will continue to receive all the necessary nutrients through it.

Despite the fact that this phenomenon does not pose a direct danger to the child’s health, it will be useful for every expectant mother to learn about the causes and consequences of the umbilical cord entwining the fetus’s neck. You will learn about this from this article.

To correctly understand the essence of the problem, you must first understand what it is umbilical cord.

This is a special cord connecting the organisms of mother and child. It supplies the fetus with the necessary nutrition.

Umbilical cord formation begins in the 3rd week of pregnancy. It consists of connective tissue, the umbilical vein and a pair of arteries. Inside the umbilical cord, the vessels are twisted into a spiral.

The vein in the umbilical cord serves to supply the mother's arterial blood, rich in oxygen and nutrients, to the baby's body. Arteries, on the contrary, drain blood from the fetus with metabolic products.

The umbilical cord is a temporary organ. The fetus needs it only until birth. After the baby is born, the umbilical cord is removed: doctors cut it.

In a normal state, it has a length of 40 to 60 cm. If the length of the umbilical cord extends beyond 70 cm, then conditions arise for the umbilical cord to entangle the fetus’s neck.

Causes of pathology

Despite the development of medicine and the wide availability of medical information, in modern society there are still many superstitions associated with the umbilical cord entwining the fetal neck. For example, some “experts” still advise pregnant women not to engage in knitting and weaving, and to refrain from raising their arms up in the last stages of pregnancy. Allegedly, this may contribute to the umbilical cord entwining the fetal neck. Naturally, this is complete nonsense.

Why does entanglement occur? This intrauterine pathology can develop under the influence of the following factors:

Types of pathology

There is the following classification of entwining the fetal neck with the umbilical cord:

  • Tight. This entanglement is typical for a short umbilical cord.
  • Not tight. This entanglement is typical for a long umbilical cord.
  • One-time. One loop.
  • Double. Two loops.
  • Triple. Three or more loops.
  • Isolated. The umbilical cord wraps around only one part of the body. For example, the neck.
  • Combined. The entanglement affects several parts of the body.

With the umbilical cord wrapped around the neck 1 time at least 20% of women experience. Doctors do not even consider this phenomenon a pathology, since a single loop cannot cause fetal hypoxia.

A single umbilical cord entanglement at 32 weeks is not a reason to panic. Obstetricians believe that the child will be able to be born on his own.

You can start to worry if doctors discover umbilical cord entanglement at 33 weeks of pregnancy. As a rule, before giving birth, the child removes the loop on his own. However, if it is a combined entanglement that affects other parts of the body, then the loop may be too tight. In this case, the fetus will not be able to get rid of it, which may create some difficulties during childbirth.

Double umbilical cord

In the vast majority of cases, such a pathology is also not considered dangerous. Especially if it is detected before 37 weeks. After this period, the likelihood that the fetus will be able to get rid of entanglement is very small.

Double entanglement of the umbilical cord around the fetal neck may make natural childbirth somewhat more difficult. But even then, only if the obstetrician was not previously notified of the presence of the pathology. If the doctor knows exactly where the loops of the organ lie, then the birth proceeds safely. In any case, if a woman in labor is found to have a double entanglement of the umbilical cord around the fetal neck, then everything necessary for a cesarean section is prepared. The slightest deviation in the health of the child or mother, and doctors perform surgery.

Three times umbilical cord entanglement

This type of pathology is much less common. It can be considered harmless only if the entanglement is not tight. That's why women with triple entanglement checked with special attention. In this case, they are necessarily prescribed Dopplerography and CTG.

Despite the fact that doctors themselves consider entwining the umbilical cord three times to be safe, they still do not take risks and, after the 37th week of pregnancy, prefer to induce labor. At the same time, if the cervix does not open wide enough, doctors perform a caesarean section.

One should not think that triple entanglement is an absolute indication for surgery. For caesarean section you need additional reasons:

  • The fruit is too heavy.
  • Transverse position of the baby in the uterus.
  • Narrow pelvis.
  • Hypertonic disease.

As you can see, in general, entanglement of the umbilical cord around the fetal neck does not pose an immediate threat to the child’s life. However, it is always better to play it safe and be prepared for any developments. Therefore, obstetricians regularly examine pregnant women after 32 weeks of pregnancy. For To diagnose pathology, they resort to the following methods:

The use of these methods allows doctors to ensure a safe birth when the umbilical cord is entangled.

Consequences

Most often, doctors have to deal with loose and single entanglement. In this case, there is no threat to the health of the fetus. The woman gives birth quite successfully on her own.

Danger arises when the entanglement is tight and repeated. There is a direct threat to the health of the fetus due to hypoxia. Doctors immediately warn the woman in labor about possible dangers:

  • Oxygen starvation of the child during the passage of the birth canal.
  • Narrowing of the lumen of the vessels feeding the fetus.
  • Problems with fetal circulation.
  • Hypoxia.
  • Cessation of cardiac activity.
  • Placental abruption.

As mentioned above, doctors try not to take risks and perform a caesarean section after the 37th week of pregnancy. This operation is also resorted to in cases where the situation for any reason becomes critical.

Prevention of entanglement

The expectant mother can minimize the risks of developing pathology. To do this she needs to do following:

In most cases, these measures are sufficient to prevent the umbilical cord from becoming entangled around the baby's neck.

During pregnancy, in order to connect mother and child, as well as deliver to the baby the necessary components for building the body and oxygen molecules, two special organs are formed - the placenta with the umbilical cord. Due to the placenta, communication is carried out between the mother’s body and the future baby without mixing their blood with each other, and due to the umbilical cord, the fetus uninterruptedly receives everything necessary for growth and oxygen. The umbilical cord extends approximately from the center of the placenta and consists of three vessels, enveloped in a thick layer of gelatinous substance that protects it from pinching and damage. Sometimes during pregnancy, on an ultrasound, the doctor sees the umbilical cord entwined in the neck of the fetus, which causes concern in the expectant mother. Should you worry?

The structure of the umbilical cord: features

The cord connecting the placenta to the fetus (umbilical cord) has a special structure: inside it there are two large arteries that feed the baby and an equally large vein through which it releases waste metabolites and waste products. The umbilical cord develops from an early stage, in parallel with the placenta, and is attached in the abdomen to the fetus at one end and approximately to the center of the placenta at the other. By the end of pregnancy, it reaches a length of approximately 45-65 cm in length, which is enough for full movements of the child and uninterrupted nutrition. As with all other organs surrounding the baby, the umbilical cord may also be characterized by some deviations in structure and functioning, which can become a problem during pregnancy or later during childbirth. Such a deviation can be the entanglement of the umbilical cord around the fetal neck.

Umbilical cord problems and the threat of loops in the neck

There are two abnormalities in the length of the umbilical cord that can become a problem during childbirth. These include an umbilical cord that is too short, which according to data is less than 40 cm, as well as an excessively long one, which exceeds 70 cm in length. Both of these pathologies can interfere with natural labor, although they do not greatly affect the course of pregnancy. Due to the umbilical cord being too long, it is possible to wrap it around the fetal neck, either once, twice, or sometimes three times. In addition, such an umbilical cord, due to the activity of the fetus, especially against the background, can form a true umbilical cord knot, which is dangerous for the death of the fetus if it is prolonged into pregnancy or during childbirth.

Causes of umbilical cord entanglement in the neck

Until now, among the older generation there are many myths associated with entwinement, which frighten young mothers. But in reality, several factors can become the causes of entanglement.:

Expectant mothers should note that they should not worry about the entanglement of the umbilical cord near the fetal neck no earlier than 36-38 weeks of pregnancy or earlier if the entanglement is tight and repeated. In other cases, the fetus of almost every mother can put on and take off the umbilical cord loops from the neck several times during the entire pregnancy without any harm to its condition.

If such a loose entanglement is detected and the umbilical cord is of normal length, doctors do not frighten the woman; this phenomenon is usually temporary. If the loops are tight and the entanglement is repeated, then certain tactics are needed in the upcoming birth and an objective assessment of the condition of the fetus in the womb.

Myths and realities regarding entanglement

Often expectant mothers are prohibited from knitting or sewing, weaving, emphasizing that such processes lead to entanglement in the umbilical cord. In the old days, women noticed this because expectant mothers knitted and weaved in dark huts with a wood-burning stove, where there was stuffiness and hypoxia. Because of this, the fetus in the womb, so hunched over and frozen in one position, experiencing hypoxia, also suffered from a lack of oxygen. As a result, she actively moved, throwing the loops of the umbilical cord over herself. But today, when you can provide yourself with convenient and comfortable conditions for creativity, knitting or weaving will not lead to entanglement, this is nothing more than a myth.

The second myth associated with entanglement is the formation of such a pathology with frequent raising of the arms up. Let's analyze it, remembering that long and frequent raising of the arms upward in the old days was used for heavy physical labor - washing and hanging clothes. This is heavy lifting, fatigue and overexertion, which formed an increased tone of the uterus and increased hypoxia. To eliminate the lack of oxygen, the fetus increased the force of its movements - hence the loops. Today, during everyday activities, infrequently lifting the limbs up in order to get a book or cup from a shelf is not harmful. A light warm-up of the arms and legs is also useful for preventing fetal hypoxia.

External manifestations, symptoms of entanglement

As such, external symptoms of entanglement are not detected; sometimes indirect signs may be a large abdomen due to polyhydramnios, as well as excessive mobility of the child both day and night due to his suffering from hypoxia. If the baby often tosses and turns in his stomach, changing position, with an elongated umbilical cord, he can wind the loops around the neck area. This pathology does not have any other manifestations.

How doctors detect the condition of entanglement

The presence of umbilical cord entanglement can be determined by characteristic signs determined by cardiotocography (CTG). During the procedure, typical changes in the curve on the film recording the heartbeat are determined, with periods of slowing of the heartbeat against the background of fetal movement.

note

According to this method alone, it is possible to identify signs of oxygen deficiency in the fetus, which it experiences due to the entanglement of the umbilical cord around the neck.

Then it is also carried out, according to which the presence of umbilical cord loops in the area of ​​the child’s neck is visually revealed. On the monitor screen, the doctor clearly sees the number of loops and the state of the entanglement - very tight, strong or loose. Such studies based on ultrasound data will be informative already in the second trimester, but usually the fetus does not suffer from the presence of the umbilical cord in the neck during this period.

To accurately confirm the state of blood flow and the number of loops in the neck, an additional Doppler study (color Doppler mapping) is performed. It shows the blood flow through the vessels with the direction of movement, that is, you can accurately visualize the position of the umbilical cord. They also conduct a study of blood flow in the vessels of the uterus, placenta and fetus to determine the presence of hypoxia and the severity of disorders typical of tight entanglement. It is important to conduct such studies over time, since umbilical cord loops may be eliminated due to fetal movements.

Childbirth with the umbilical cord entwined around the fetal neck

The state of entanglement is possible in various types - tight (dangerous and strong) and non-tight, which creates differences in the management of labor and the method of delivery. In addition, it can be either single (one loop around the neck) or multiple – two or even three loops, which is much more dangerous. They also distinguish between isolated entanglement of the neck and combined with entanglement of other parts of the baby’s body.

The easiest option, the most favorable for natural childbirth, would be a single, loose entanglement only around the fetal neck.

Confirmation of the presence of such a pathology before childbirth requires the doctor to select a certain delivery tactic. If this loose entanglement of one or even two loops, nothing serious will happen to the baby during childbirth, the doctor will monitor the heart rate every 30 minutes in the first stage of labor and after each attempt in the second. If the heart rate decreases, labor can be stimulated to speed it up, immediately after the head is born, the doctor removes the loops from it with gentle movements, and labor ends as usual. This prevents the umbilical cord from stretching and causing complications.

Dangerous for natural childbirth tight or repeated entanglement. With a similar problem, even during gestation, the fetus may suffer from severe hypoxia. In this situation, the umbilical cord becomes shortened, which may threaten overstretching and compression of blood vessels during the period of expulsion of the fetus. This fact is dangerous regarding the development of fetal asphyxia. In addition, this is fraught with premature death of the baby during childbirth. Therefore, in this situation, at a period of approximately 37-38 weeks, a planned one is carried out, but if the condition of the fetus is threatened by complications, it is carried out earlier than these dates.

Is it possible to prevent entanglement?

Based on the knowledge of potential risk factors for such a complication, expectant mothers are advised to protect themselves from stress, both physical and emotional, spend a lot of time outdoors, actively move and engage in physical training, gymnastics. Breathing exercises are also necessary to prevent fetal hypoxia. This will reduce the chance of excessive fetal movement and cord loops around the neck. It is important to strictly follow all medical recommendations, take multivitamins and constantly monitor the condition in order to notice the beginning signs of fetal hypoxia in time and eliminate them. It is forbidden to take any folk remedies to "remove" the loops from the neck or take bizarre poses on the advice of "experienced", this is ineffective and dangerous with injuries and complications.

The expectant mother often hears chilling stories about the umbilical cord entwining the child. What it is? What are the dangers of umbilical cord entanglement? How to avoid it? Is it possible to identify this pathology in advance? These are just a few of the questions a doctor has to answer.

Concepts: umbilical cord, entanglement

On average, by the 14th week of pregnancy, the placenta and umbilical cord are finally formed - structures that perform the functions of exchange between mother and baby. After birth, when the umbilical cord is cut, the fetal circulation and placental circulation are disconnected. The child begins to live independently, and only the navel reminds of his close connection with his mother.

The umbilical cord is a long “rope” (normally from 40 to 60 cm long and up to 2 cm thick), consisting of connective tissue, inside which there is one umbilical vein and two arteries. The only umbilical vein that leaves the placenta enters the fetal abdomen through the umbilical ring and carries oxygenated blood, nutrients and medications that have passed the placental barrier.

Blood with the waste products of the baby's vital activity enters the arteries, and then through the placenta into the mother's body. It has been established that the length of the vessels is genetically determined, that is, the expectant mother is connected to her baby with an umbilical cord of the same length as she herself was connected to her mother.

However, if the length of the vessels increases (more often this also depends on genes), we may encounter the problem of a “long umbilical cord” (more than 70 cm), one of the complications of which is the umbilical cord entwining parts of the fetus and the formation of nodes.

Why does the umbilical cord become entangled?

Myths: There is a belief among expectant mothers: you should not knit or weave during pregnancy, as this can lead to the umbilical cord entwining around the fetus’s neck or knots appearing on it. The sign arose a long time ago, when births were attended by midwives. Women in those days were mainly engaged in needlework: they sewed a lot, wove lace, and knitted.

Children with the umbilical cord entwined around their necks very often died - mainly due to the lack of proper experience among midwives. By analogy with the umbilical cord loop around the neck, knitting, the essence of which consists in twisting loops and threads, was found to be “culpable” for entanglement. In fact, knitting is a great way to calm your nerves, and at the same time prepare beautiful and warm “outfits” for your future baby.

During pregnancy, women often hear that movements in which the arms are raised high can cause the umbilical cord to wrap around the baby's body. Or that vigorous exercise can cause the umbilical cord to become entangled. In reality, you should know that briefly lifting your arms is not dangerous for your baby. As well as correctly selected gymnastics complexes.

Reality: Currently, the predisposing factors for umbilical cord entanglement are intrauterine fetal hypoxia (lack of oxygen), frequent maternal stress (increased levels of adrenaline in the blood), which leads to excessive mobility of the baby, and the presence of polyhydramnios in the mother gives him the opportunity to perform a greater range of movements.

Based on the above facts, it is necessary to say about the little man’s ability not only to “tangle”, but also to “unravel” the loops of the umbilical cord on his own. Therefore, expectant mothers, do not be alarmed if your baby is diagnosed with an umbilical cord entanglement. The most important aspect of this problem is the condition of the child - whether he suffers from hypoxia or not.

How to recognize the presence of an umbilical cord entanglement?

The diagnostic algorithm for establishing umbilical cord entanglement is as follows. First, the pregnant woman undergoes a fetal cardiotocographic study (CTG), during which probable symptoms of umbilical cord entanglement are identified: in this case, a characteristic appearance of the CTG curve is detected with a periodic decrease in the number of heartbeats during fetal movements. Using only this method, it is already possible to determine the signs of hypoxia.

Then an echographic examination is performed - ultrasound (in many medical institutions they perform ultrasound without CTG), during which the assumption of the presence of umbilical cord loops in the fetal neck is clarified. This manipulation is informative already from the second trimester.

The brevity of the umbilical cord is established by color Doppler mapping - a study during which one can see how the blood flows through the vessels, that is, the vessels of the umbilical cord are actually visible. The most accurate method in studying the state of uteroplacental and fetal-placental blood flow is Doppler measurement - determination of mathematical indicators of blood flow (its speed, etc.).

If hypoxia or problems with the health of the fetus are suspected, then I repeat all these studies several times, since the baby is constantly moving before birth and the entanglement may disappear.

How can entanglement of the umbilical cord affect the course of labor?

The entanglement of the umbilical cord can be single or multiple, loose and tight, isolated and combined (around the neck and limbs of the fetus). The most common type of umbilical cord entanglement is an isolated, single, loose entanglement around the baby’s neck, which, as a rule, does not pose a danger to him.

If entanglement of the umbilical cord is confirmed at the time of birth, depending on its type, the obstetrician-gynecologist chooses the optimal tactics for labor management. If childbirth is managed correctly, if there is a loose one- or two-time entanglement, this does not threaten the child with anything serious.

The fetal heart rate is monitored on average every half hour during contractions and after each push. If your baby's heart rate is abnormal, your doctor may use stimulation to speed up labor. Immediately after the birth of the head, the obstetrician frees the neck from the umbilical cord loops, thereby preventing its strong tension and disruption of blood flow through it.

Only double or multiple tight entanglement of the umbilical cord can be dangerous. With such entanglement, signs of fetal hypoxia are recorded already during pregnancy. With tight entanglement and relative shortening of the umbilical cord in the second stage of labor, tension occurs, narrowing of the lumen of blood vessels, leading to a sharp decrease in blood supply to the child’s tissues (acute hypoxia and asphyxia).

Also, tension of the umbilical cord during childbirth is fraught with premature placental abruption. Therefore, after 37 weeks, in the presence of such entanglement of the umbilical cord, a planned cesarean section is most often performed, and if the condition of the fetus becomes dangerous before this period, the operation can be performed earlier.

Is it possible to avoid getting entangled in the umbilical cord?

Considering the factors predisposing to umbilical cord entanglement, the expectant mother is advised to minimize stressful situations, breathe fresh air more often, and do gymnastics, not forgetting about breathing exercises. All these measures are aimed at ensuring that the child does not experience a lack of oxygen, that is, hypoxia, which causes increased motor activity of the fetus.

In addition, you need to promptly and accurately follow all doctor’s orders and undergo examinations - this will allow you to suspect problems in time and prevent undesirable consequences. You can also advise the expectant mother not to take the scary stories of “well-wishers” to heart, not to use unknown drugs and not to perform acrobatic exercises in order to “remove” the umbilical cord loop.

Today we will touch on an important and difficult topic - childbirth with an entwined umbilical cord. First, let's look at what entwining the umbilical cord means. Umbilical cord entanglement is a special condition in obstetrics, accompanied by the wrapping of the umbilical cord around the body, legs or neck of the fetus. This condition refers to the pathology of pregnancy, as it can provoke the development of serious consequences - premature placental abruption, incorrect position and presentation, hypoxia or asphyxia of the fetus.

There are several different options for umbilical cord entanglement:

Single-use, in which the umbilical cord wraps around the fetal neck 1 time;

Double/multiple, when several turns are observed around the neck;

Insulated loop - the umbilical cord wraps only around the fetal neck;

Combined loop - entwined around the limbs and/or body of the unborn child;

Weak umbilical cord entanglement;

We often hear questions like these:

  • Is it true that you can’t give birth yourself if the baby is entangled in the umbilical cord?
  • If the umbilical cord is entangled, do you need to stay in the maternity hospital under observation?
  • What needs to be done to ensure that the child unwinds and there is no entanglement?
  • What can you do to prevent your baby from getting wrapped in the umbilical cord?
Let's try to figure it out!

Currently, predisposing factors for umbilical cord entanglement are intrauterine fetal hypoxia (lack of oxygen), frequent maternal stress (increased levels of adrenaline in the blood), which leads to excessive mobility of the baby, and the presence of polyhydramnios in the mother gives him the opportunity to perform a greater range of movements. Based on the above facts, it is necessary to say about the little man’s ability not only to “tangle”, but also to “unravel” the loops of the umbilical cord on his own. Therefore, expectant mothers, do not be alarmed if your baby is diagnosed with an umbilical cord entanglement. The most important aspect of this problem is the condition of the child - does he suffer from hypoxia or not?

How to avoid getting entangled in the umbilical cord?

Taking into account the predisposing factors, I recommend that the expectant mother minimize stressful situations, breathe fresh air more often, do gymnastics, not forgetting breathing exercises, and, together with her attending physician, timely prevent intrauterine fetal hypoxia. And also, try not to pay attention to the scary stories of “well-wishers”, not to use unknown drugs and not to perform acrobatic exercises in order to “remove” the umbilical cord loop.

- Is it possible to give birth with entanglement?

Answer: Of course you can. Of course, such births deserve special attention! During childbirth, CTG is constantly recorded in order to monitor the child’s well-being. When the umbilical cord is tightened, the CTG will begin to change, in this case an emergency c/s is performed.

- Can a fetus suffocate if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby's throat?

Answer: There is no way a fetus can suffocate either during intrauterine development or during childbirth. The lungs begin to work only after the child is born and his oral cavity is freed from mucus. Until this moment, the respiratory tract is not involved in any way in providing the baby with oxygen. Therefore, it is not so important whether the umbilical cord is wrapped around the throat, arm, leg or torso. The condition of the umbilical cord itself is important. It is through it that both during intrauterine development and during childbirth the fetus receives oxygen and nutrients. As long as the blood flow in the umbilical cord is not impaired, the child does not suffer, even if his throat is tied. A dangerous condition is when the lumen of its vessels narrows due to tension or compression of the umbilical cord. In this case, the fetus experiences a lack of oxygen - hypoxia.

- Is entanglement of the umbilical cord an indication for cesarean section??

Answer: A single, loose untwisting of the umbilical cord in itself most often does not become an indication for surgical delivery. But in this case, the child’s condition must be carefully monitored throughout the entire period of childbirth. In case of acute hypoxia, an emergency caesarean section is performed.

- Are there ways to untangle the umbilical cord while still in the womb?

Answer: No amount of medical manipulation will help free the fetus from the loop. And if some “healers” promise to do this using some “folk” methods unknown to medicine, you should not believe them. There are no such methods.

If the umbilical cord is entangled, it is not necessary to stay in the maternity hospital if there are no changes in Doppler measurements (blood flows are within normal limits). But, once a week you need to record a CTG if the period is more than 35 weeks. If the period is 40 weeks and the umbilical cord is entangled, then hospitalization in the maternity hospital for observation (CTG 2 times a day) is recommended; if the patient wishes, the patient can be hospitalized earlier.

To summarize, I would like to say that in 50% of all births there is an entanglement of the umbilical cord, so you should not be afraid of this. But, if it is, then carefully monitor the child’s movements. If there are too many or very few of them, be sure to tell your doctor.