Straight umbilical cord

Last revised by Karwan T. Khoshnaw on 11 Sep 2018

Straight umbilical cord implies, as the name suggests, an umbilical cord with no coils.

Epidemiology

The reported incidence of a straight cord is about 3.7-5% of all pregnancies.

Radiographic features

Ultrasound
  • the entire length of the umbilical cord shows no evidence of coiling

Complications

  • intrauterine death
  • stillbirth
  • fetal anomalies
  • prematurity
  • fetal distress
  • intrapartum heart rate decelerations
  • meconium staining

Treatment and prognosis

Some studies suggest that the presence of non-coiled umbilical cord places the fetus at a higher risk. It also suggests that the structural ability to resist external compressive forces is reduced 1.

See also

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