How can pregnant women avoid umbilical cord torsion?

When the baby is still in the mother's belly, the umbilical cord becomes an important bridge connecting the baby and the mother. Because nutrients are mainly transported between the baby and the mother through the umbilical cord, but when the baby is in the mother's belly, the umbilical cord may twist, which is a dangerous situation. Because the umbilical cord twisting will threaten the baby's life and health, so mothers at this time should pay attention to their daily behavior. So for pregnant mothers, what behaviors in life will cause umbilical cord twisting?

What is umbilical cord torsion?

Umbilical cord torsion refers to the rotation and twisting of the umbilical cord along its longitudinal axis, just like twisting a hemp rope. It can return to normal by rotating it in the opposite direction. Umbilical cord torsion is related to fetal activity. Umbilical cord torsion can occur under normal circumstances, and physiological torsion can last up to 6-11 weeks. It is generally not dangerous, but excessive or dense torsion will lead to blood circulation interruption. If it is not relieved in time, it will soon cause fetal death.

Causes of umbilical cord torsion

The real cause of umbilical cord torsion has not yet been clearly identified in medicine. Some scholars believe that it may be related to umbilical cord maldevelopment. Other scholars believe that umbilical cord torsion is related to pregnancy and delivery conditions and the sex of the fetus. They believe that the abdominal wall of multiparous women is loose, which facilitates fetal movement. Male fetuses are more mobile and more prone to torsion. Some scholars believe that torsion occurs after the fetus dies.

Umbilical cord torsion is a sudden condition in the uterus. So far, medicine has been unable to detect the signs early. However, by strengthening perinatal monitoring, abnormal changes in umbilical cord blood flow can be detected and the fetus' life can be saved early.

How to prevent umbilical cord torsion?

1. Keep counting fetal movements. Starting from the 28th week of pregnancy, expectant mothers should pay attention to changes in fetal movements and count them every day. If you find that the number of fetal movements is lower than normal, you should go to the hospital immediately.

2. Try to sleep on your left side. Lying on the left side can reduce the pressure of the uterus on the expectant mother's aorta and maintain normal blood flow in the uterine artery.

3. Don’t sit for a long time. Sitting inactive for a long time can easily affect blood circulation throughout the body. Compression of the pelvis causes poor blood circulation in the uterus, which not only affects the expectant mother herself, but is also bad for the fetus.

4. Breathe oxygen. If the umbilical cord blood flow value is high, you can try to go to a nearby hospital for oxygen inhalation. Inhaling oxygen for one hour a day can relieve chest tightness and also have a certain improvement on fetal hypoxia.