Umbilical cord around the neck ultrasound manifestations

Written by Du Rui Xia

Obstetrics

Updated on September 13, 2024

00:00

00:00

The impact of umbilical cord entanglement on the fetus is quite significant. If the entanglement is excessive and tight, it can lead to fetal hypoxia. Generally, fetuses with the umbilical cord wrapped around the neck once or draped on the neck do not show clinical symptoms. However, if the entanglement is tight, it can jeopardize fetal health. During an ultrasound examination, echoes can be seen on the fetus's neck where the umbilical cord is wrapped, and distinct pressure marks may appear on the skin. A single wrap around the neck appears as a U-shape, two wraps appear as a W-shape, and three wraps as a serrated shape.

Other Voices

home-news-image

Written by Du Rui Xia

Obstetrics

44sec

home-news-image

What to do if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck and there are frequent fetal movements?

When there is umbilical cord entanglement, if there is an increase in fetal movement frequency, it is important to consistently monitor the fetal movements. If, during monitoring, the fetal movements become especially frequent, or if there is a sudden cessation of movement after frequent movements, this is a very dangerous sign and immediate medical examination at a hospital is necessary. Additionally, regular prenatal examinations at the hospital should be conducted, such as fetal heart monitoring or ultrasound checks. It's also important to adopt a left lateral sleeping position to improve placental blood supply, avoid vigorous exercise, and maintain a relaxed mindset.

home-news-image

Written by Zhang Lu

Obstetrics

1min 1sec

home-news-image

What to do if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck once in late pregnancy?

During the late stages of pregnancy, a B-ultrasound might sometimes reveal that the fetus has the umbilical cord wrapped around its neck once. This condition is a physiological occurrence. Having the cord wrapped once around the neck does not cause intrauterine hypoxia or harm the growth and development of the fetus inside the womb. The vast majority of cases where the cord is wrapped are physiological, and whether the cord is wrapped around once or twice, there is no need for excessive worry. In the late stages of pregnancy, the most important thing when the cord is found wrapped around the neck is to monitor fetal movements. As long as the fetal movements are good, it indicates that the fetus is in a normal condition inside the womb. It is also important to keep up with regular prenatal check-ups to assess whether the fetal growth and development are normal. Additionally, it is not advised to take any action to intervene when the cord is wrapped around the neck, as neither adopting sleeping positions nor any other methods can release the cord from the neck. These methods are futile and sometimes might even harm the fetus.

home-news-image

Written by Zhang Yin Xing

Obstetrics

1min

home-news-image

What should I do if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck once?

Umbilical cord wrapping around the neck once is a very common phenomenon, occurring in 20% of fetuses. When the umbilical cord wraps around the neck once, if the umbilical blood flow and fetal movements are normal, it indicates that the cord wrapping does not affect the fetus and will not have a direct impact on the fetus's intrauterine growth and development. However, during childbirth, attention must be paid to the possibility that the umbilical cord wrapping may cause difficulties in the descent of the presenting part of the fetus, leading to abnormal umbilical blood flow. If difficulties in the descent of the presenting part and changes in the fetal heart rate occur during delivery, the possibility of umbilical cord wrapping should be considered. If necessary, a cesarean section should be performed to terminate the pregnancy. There are no medications or other treatments that can alleviate umbilical cord wrapping; instead, enhanced prenatal monitoring is sufficient.

home-news-image

Written by Du Rui Xia

Obstetrics

41sec

home-news-image

Can umbilical cord around the neck perform fetal position correction?

In cases of nuchal cord, it is not advisable to attempt correcting abnormal fetal positions, because if the fetal position changes abnormally after an attempted correction while the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck, it may worsen the degree of the nuchal cord, potentially leading to fetal hypoxia or even asphyxiation. However, if the umbilical cord is relatively long, it might not affect the changes in fetal position, and sometimes the fetus can automatically free itself from the nuchal cord through its own movements. It is important to regularly visit the hospital for prenatal check-ups to detect any other potential abnormalities.

home-news-image

Written by Du Rui Xia

Obstetrics

30sec

home-news-image

Why doesn't the ultrasound show the umbilical cord around the neck?

Generally, in cases where there is umbilical cord entanglement around the neck, it can be detected through an ultrasound examination. However, if the ultrasound does not show the umbilical cord wrapped around the neck, it is possible that the cord moved back around as the fetus moved during pregnancy. It might also be that the cord is not fully wrapped around the fetus's neck, but rather draped over the shoulder or neck. This situation could also relate to the fetal position, making it undetectable.