It may be that on some occasion an acquaintance has told you that her delivery had to be by cesarean section because at the last moment she suffered a “prolapsed cord”.
Although it is not very frequent, it is something with which health professionals who attend deliveries are familiar. To understand cord prolapse it is important to know a little more about the umbilical cord and its functions.
The umbilical cord
El umbilical cord is the structure that joins the baby with the placenta. It is formed between week 5 and 12 of pregnancy and has a fundamental role in the development of the baby-
The umbilical cord is a flexible tube. Two arteries and a vein run through it, twisting on themselves. All this protected by a gelatinous substance called "Wharton's jelly" that serves as a support, link and protection for the three vessels.
The length of the cord is variable, normally around 50cm and weighs about 100gr. Normally it joins the placenta in its central point, although it can do so in some more lateral area.
Umbilical cord functions
El umbilical cord It is the nexus of union of the baby with its mother. Through the cord it joins the placenta, which in turn is responsible for taking from the mother's blood all the substances that the baby needs, such as oxygen, glucose or any other nutrient and is also the one who returns to the blood of the mother all the waste products that the baby generates.
Curiously the arteries of the umbilical cord carry venous blood, that is, blood that leaves the baby and needs to be purified in the placenta. These arteries arrive loaded with all the waste products that the baby still cannot eliminate by himself and needs his mother, through the placenta, to do it.
The vein, on the other hand, carries blood that is oxygenated and full of products that the baby needs to grow.
What Happens During Pregnancy?
During pregnancy, the umbilical cord grows along with the baby and the placenta.
Being a fairly long conduit allows the baby not to need to be attached to the placenta to receive their food or dispose of their products. The lanyard allows these functions to be performed at a certain distance, allowing the baby to have freedom of movement. In a way that allows the baby to develop properly without interrupting the flow of nutrients and other substances.
What happens inside the amniotic sac?
The umbilical cord and the baby float in the amniotic fluid. This together with the protection that Wharton's jelly gives to the vessels of the cord means that during pregnancy the cord perfectly supports the movements of the baby without compressing the vessels and compromising the circulation from the placenta.
During pregnancy, surely, in many occasions the cord will be around the baby, the baby will grab it or both will become entangled and untangled as the baby moves and turns.
On some occasions, the location of the cord can be visualized by ultrasound, but generally, it is not very valuable. Cord placement may or may not affect delivery ...
What is cord prolapse?
During delivery, the umbilical cord should not be compressed by any structure. This is important so that the blood flow is not interrupted and the baby remains perfectly oxygenated during the process.
It is important that the cord is always above the baby's head. That is, the baby will be head down, with his head resting on the bones of his mother's pelvis and it is very important that the cord is away from this support zone.
Cord prolapse occurs when the cord is placed in front of the baby's head. That is, between the baby's head and the bones of the mother's pelvis.
It is important to say that this occurs when the bag of waters has been broken. At this time, the liquid may come out very abruptly and drag the cord, before the baby has time to properly support his head.
It can also occur later, when during delivery the baby moves its head, leaving some free area through which the umbilical cord can slip.
It's bad?
If the baby rests his head and presses on the cord, the flow of blood can be interrupted. Then the baby will not have the necessary supply of oxygen and you may run into problems if the problem is not fixed quickly.
What are the causes?
Cord prolapse occurs more frequently in the following circumstances:
- Premature birth
- Twin births
- Breech births
- Premature rupture of the bag of waters. Especially if the baby is not well positioned yet.
- Rupture of the bag of waters when there is an excess of amniotic fluid
- Breaking of the bag of waters if the umbilical cord is abnormally long.
¿Qué se puede hacer?
Prolapsed cord usually appears when you are already in labor in the hospital. In that case, depending on the gravity, this will be the solution.
When the baby's head is well positioned and the codon is only on one side of it, you can try to gently push the cord back into place. In the event that the cord is clearly in front of the baby's head, there will be no choice but to perform an urgent cesarean section to avoid problems for our baby.