The umbilical cord is also called the umbilical cord (Latin funiculus umbilicalis). Its function is to connect the embryo, and then the fetus with the mother's body. The length of the umbilical cord in a person reaches 50 - 70 cm or more. This allows the fetus to move in the uterine cavity. In a newborn baby, the umbilical cord is about 2 cm in thickness. Outwardly it is resilient, similar to a dense rubber hose with smooth and shiny shells.
Where does the umbilical cord come from?
The umbilical cord is attached to the placenta in the center or on the side. It happens that the umbilical cord joins the fetal membranes, while not reaching the placenta itself.
When does the umbilical cord appear?
It is well known that, starting from 2-3 weeks of pregnancy, it is just starting to form, and by 2 months it has completely grown to normal size. But, there are "kanatiki" only up to 40 cm in length, or reaching more than 1 meter! Such abnormalities of the umbilical cord are prerequisites for tying knots and other complications.
Umbilical anomalies
The most serious are the umbilical anomalies associated with the inconsistency of its length: a long or short umbilical cord, the reasons for the appearance of such deviations are not known exactly.
With a long umbilical cord (70-80 cm), which happens very often, childbirth can go without complications. However, it is possible that it is wrapped around different parts of the fetus, which can occur due to active movements of the child. The accusation can be single and multiple. There is also a tight-netgo accent. All cases should be under close supervision of your doctor.
A short umbilical cord, less than 40 cm, rarely 10-20 cm, can provoke the appearance of an incorrect fetal position. During childbirth, a pathology such as a short umbilical cord is often the reason why the fetus moves very slowly through the birth canal, and the placenta exfoliates prematurely.
A thick umbilical cord can provoke prolonged healing of the umbilical wound. Therefore, you must carefully look after it.
Where after the birth is the umbilical cord?
Most often, the umbilical cord of a newborn belongs to a special laboratory where research is carried out. Now it has become fashionable to give the umbilical cord to the stem cell storage centers, where these cells are extracted from the umbilical cord and stored throughout the life of a person. Well, in ordinary cases, the umbilical cord is disposed of in the hospital.