What causes the umbilical cord to wrap around the neck? Why does the umbilical cord wrap around the baby's neck?

Umbilical cord around the neck is something that many women have encountered during pregnancy. In this case, the doctor will recommend that the pregnant woman give birth by caesarean section, because a natural birth with the umbilical cord around the neck may cause fetal asphyxia. What causes the umbilical cord around the neck? Why does the umbilical cord around the baby's neck? The umbilical cord around the neck may be directly related to the movement of the fetus in the mother's body. Let's learn more about it in detail.

1. What causes the fetal umbilical cord to wrap around the neck?

Umbilical cord around the neck is a common occurrence during fetal delivery. It is generally believed that this is related to the umbilical cord being too long and the fetal movement being too frequent. The fetus will often move around in the mother's body, rolling and turning in the not very large uterus, and each fetus has different characteristics. Some fetuses move more gently, while others move more vigorously. They especially love sports and will move and play in the uterus, move their arms, stretch their legs, and turn around. At this time, umbilical cord entanglement may occur.

2. What are the hazards of umbilical cord around the neck to the fetus?

Umbilical cord around the neck is a high-risk pregnancy and can cause intrauterine distress to the fetus at any time. If the umbilical cord is entangled in multiple places in the late pregnancy, it is very dangerous for the fetus. Tight entanglements can affect the flow of umbilical cord blood, thereby affecting the metabolism of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the fetus, causing the fetus's heart rate to slow down. In severe cases, the fetus may suffer from hypoxia or even death.

The impact of umbilical cord entanglement on the fetus is related to the number of weeks and tightness of the entanglement, the length of the umbilical cord, and the amount of amniotic fluid. It is also related to whether labor is imminent. After delivery, the fetal head moves downward, causing the umbilical cord, which was originally loosely wrapped, to gradually tighten.

Generally speaking, a fetus with the umbilical cord wrapped around its neck will not develop clinical symptoms because the degree of entanglement and compression is relatively mild. This entanglement does not pose much danger to the mother and child, and the mother can still deliver the baby successfully vaginally. Even if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck, since the fetal head is less mobile, it usually does not endanger the health of the fetus as long as the umbilical cord is not tightened. During pregnancy, if the umbilical cord is found to be entangled, the pregnant woman does not need to worry too much as long as the fetus continues to move. However, for fetuses with many entanglements and severe compression, the umbilical cord may be relatively short due to the entanglement. If the cord is wrapped too tightly, it will affect the umbilical cord blood flow, which will first affect the fetal oxygen and carbon dioxide metabolism, causing the fetal heart rate to slow down. In severe cases, fetal hypoxia or even fetal death may occur, which is more passive and difficult to deal with.