Umbilical Cord and Its Effects on Pregnancy Outcomes: A Retrospective Observational Study

Aims: To find out the association between umbilical cord abnormalities and perinatal outcomes.Background: The umbilical cord, also known as the fetal supply line, is one of the most important parts of the feto-placental unit.Any variation of the morphology of the umbilical cord can affect pregnancy outcomes.Therefore, this study is designed to evaluate the morphological variations of the cord and their effects on pregnancy outcomes.Materials and methods: This was a retrospective observational study which examined the umbilical cords of 250 women with singleton pregnancies who delivered at Lifeline Hospital during the year 2019-2020. Results:The mean age of the study group was 27 years.Paracentral insertion was the most common type of cord insertion found in 56.4% of cases.Short and long cords were observed in 8 and 10% of cases respectively.Hypocoiling was more common than hypercoiling.Out of neonatal complications, 24% needed neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, 3.25% were growth-restricted babies, and two babies had anomalies.Conclusion: Morphological variations in the umbilical cord can have significant impact on pregnancy outcomes.Specifically, velamentous cord insertions are associated with low birth weight, while cord length variations contribute to intrapartum complications and hypocoiled cords increase the risk of neonatal complications.