What makes umbilical cord

World Prematurity Day. What's happening in your area Find out about local events, news, programs, and more. Stony Point, NY Umbilical cord abnormalities. Now playing: Bleeding and spotting during pregnancy Gestational diabetes Gestational hypertension and preeclampsia Seasonal flu and pregnancy.

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In This Topic View More. The vein carries oxygen and nutrients from the placenta which connects to the mother's blood supply to the baby. The two arteries transport waste from the baby to the placenta where waste is transferred to the mother's blood and disposed of by her kidneys.

A gelatin-like tissue called Wharton's jelly cushions and protects these blood vessels. What is a single umbilical artery?

What is umbilical cord prolapse? The risk of umbilical cord prolapse increases if: The baby is in a breech foot-first position. The woman is in preterm labor. The umbilical cord is too long. There is too much amniotic fluid. The provider ruptures the membranes to start or speed up labor. The woman is delivering twins vaginally. The second twin is more commonly affected. What is vasa previa? A pregnant woman may be at increased risk for vasa previa if she: Has a velamentous insertion of the cord the umbilical cord inserts abnormally into the fetal membranes, instead of the center of the placenta Has placenta previa a low-lying placenta that covers part or all of the cervix or certain other placental abnormalities Is expecting more than one baby What is nuchal cord?

What are umbilical cord knots? What is an umbilical cord cyst? There are true and false cysts: True cysts are lined with cells and generally contain remnants of early embryonic structures. False cysts are fluid-filled sacs that can be related to a swelling of the Wharton's jelly. Does the March of Dimes support research on umbilical cord abnormalities?

The goals of this study are to: Develop a better understanding of the causes of birth defects Develop treatments to help prevent oxygen deprivation before and during delivery, which may contribute to cerebral palsy and other forms of brain damage References Cruikshank, D. Philadelphia, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, , pages Wonder how to care for your newborn's umbilical cord stump?

Follow these tips to promote healing. During pregnancy, the umbilical cord supplies nutrients and oxygen to your developing baby. After birth, the umbilical cord is no longer needed — so it's clamped and snipped.

This leaves behind a short stump. Your baby's umbilical cord stump dries out and eventually falls off — usually within one to three weeks after birth. In the meantime, treat the area gently:. During the healing process, it's normal to see a little blood near the stump.

Much like a scab, the cord stump might bleed a little when it falls off. However, contact your baby's doctor if the umbilical area oozes pus, the surrounding skin becomes red and swollen, or the area develops a pink moist bump. These could be signs of an umbilical cord infection. Prompt treatment is needed to stop the infection from spreading. Also, talk to your baby's doctor if the stump still hasn't separated after three weeks. To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise.

All rights reserved. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. Top of the page. Topic Overview After the umbilical cord is cut at birth, a stump of tissue remains attached to your baby's belly button navel.

Cleaning Keeping the area clean and dry You can help your baby's umbilical cord stump fall off and heal faster by keeping it dry.

Keep your baby's diaper folded below the umbilical cord stump. If folding does not work well, try cutting out an area in the front of the diaper before you put it on your baby to keep the stump exposed to air. It also helps prevent diaper contents, such as urine, from irritating the stump. Many baby baths are gently sloped. This helps you position your baby for a bath. Knowing what to expect Most umbilical cord stumps look worse than they really are. Right after birth, an umbilical cord stump usually looks white and shiny and may feel slightly damp.

As the stump dries and heals, it may look brown, grey, or even black. This happens in about 1 in births less than 1 percent of births. Stillbirth is when a baby dies in the womb after 20 weeks of pregnancy. If your water breaks and you feel something in your vagina, go to the hospital right away.

He may be able to take pressure off the umbilical cord by moving the baby. If the cord is pinched, you may need to have a cesarean section also called c-section instead of a vaginal birth. A c-section is surgery in which your baby is born through a cut that your doctor makes in your belly and uterus. Single umbilical artery is when one artery in the umbilical cord is missing. It happens in about 1 in singleton pregnancies 1 percent and about 5 in multiple pregnancies 5 percent.

About 2 in 10 babies 20 percent with a single umbilical artery have health problems, including heart , kidney or digestion problems and genetic conditions. Digestion is the process of how your body breaks down food after you eat. A gene can change on its own, or the changed gene can be passed from parents to children. Vasa previa is when one or more blood vessels from the umbilical cord or placenta cross the cervix.

The cervix is the opening to the uterus womb that sits at the top of the vagina. This can cause life-threatening bleeding in your baby. Torn blood vessels cause death in at least half of babies with vasa previa.

Your provider may find vasa previa on an ultrasound or during a pelvic exam during your pregnancy. Vasa previa is rare; it happens in just 1 in 2, to 3, births much less than 1 percent of births. Babies with a nuchal cord usually are born healthy, but it sometimes can affect their heart rate. Knots in umbilical cords can form early in pregnancy when your baby moves around in the womb. Knots happen most often when the umbilical cord is too long and in pregnancies with identical twins.

Identical twins share one amniotic sac, which makes it easy for the babies' umbilical cords to get tangled. The amniotic sac also called bag of waters is inside the uterus womb and is filled with amniotic fluid. About 1 in pregnancies about 1 percent have a knot in the umbilical cord. This can cause miscarriage or stillbirth.