From the moment you conceive your little bub till he is delivered, the function of the umbilical cord is undeniably crucial. This 50-centimetre knobbly tissue is a precious resource that has immense regenerative and healing potential.
It links you to your baby. But it is also a rich source of stem cells – almost 10 times more than adult bone marrow.
In fact, when properly stored and screened, the umbilical cord can also save those suffering from life-threatening conditions. These include several forms of leukemia, lymphoma and bone marrow disorders.
As you may already know, the umbilical cord is incredibly important in your baby’s development before and even after their birth. To be better informed about this fleshy cord that links you to your baby, we’ve made a comprehensive guide on how it functions, structure and the problems you should look out for.
Umbilical Cord
When the egg is fertilised it forms two components. One part becomes an embryo that forms into the feotus. The other becomes the placenta. As the foetus grows, the two get connected with an umbilical cord.
The umbilical cord, which connects the developing infant to the placenta, is a skinny tube-like structure. Because it transports the baby’s blood back and forth between the newborn and the placenta, the cord is sometimes referred to as the “supply line” for the infant. It provides the newborn with nourishment, oxygen, and waste product removal.
Five weeks after conception, the umbilical cord starts to develop. Up to week 28 of pregnancy, it gets increasingly longer, averaging 22 to 24 inches. The cord typically coils around itself as it becomes longer. Two arteries and one vein make up the three blood vessels in the cord.
The umbilical cord develops throughout pregnancy to serve as a link between mother and child and to provide the foetus with all it needs to flourish. The umbilical cord provides one more chance to give life right after birth.
A newborn may move around safely with an umbilical cord that is roughly half a metre long at full gestation. It consists of one major vein and two smaller arteries. Blood from the placenta is delivered to the foetus by the vein, whereas blood from the placenta is delivered to the foetus by the arteries.
The umbilical cord is cut at birth, and the remaining portion becomes the belly button.
Where Is Umbilical Cord Connected?
As you enter the fifth week of your pregnancy the umbilical cord begins to take shape. On one side it is connected to the embryo’s abdomen, on the other end, to your gestational sac (placenta).
The placenta, which is linked to the mother’s uterus by the umbilical cord, attaches to the baby’s abdomen. The placenta is in charge of generating pregnancy hormones and serving as a vital conduit for nutrient transfers between the mother’s blood and that of the foetus.
The placenta, which is brimming with maternal blood, allows the foetal blood to pass through tiny blood capillaries. Without any mixing between the two blood sources, nutrients and oxygen are transferred from the mother’s blood to the foetal blood, and waste is transferred back to the maternal blood. The placenta separates from the uterus and is removed after childbirth.
What Is The Function Of The Umbilical Cord?
Three distinct purposes are served by the umbilical chord.
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It primarily acts as a source of blood for the newborn.
This is crucial since the foetus cannot breathe on its own because it lacks functioning lungs and an oxygen source, making it impossible for it to get the oxygen it needs to survive.
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Since the developing foetus is unable to swallow food, the umbilical cord also provides calories, proteins, lipids, vitamins, and other nutrients.
In fact, one function of the umbilical cord is also to help with the formation of the placenta, which is connected to the uterine wall. It allows the transfer of oxygen, food and nutrients.
The function of umbilical cord: The umbilical cord also ensures that blood does not mix and keeps the baby alive and growing. | Image courtesy: Wikimedia
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Lastly, the umbilical cord helps to carry waste materials and deoxygenated blood from the foetus to the mother’s circulation so that they can be processed and eliminated.
The umbilical cord also ensures that blood does not mix and keeps the baby alive and growing. And it provides for the removal of waste and deoxygenated blood. It also produces hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). This is a hormone that establishes a healthy pregnancy.
When your baby is born, the umbilical cord is cut close to his body and the dry stump falls off on its own a few days later.
What Is The Structure Of The Umbilical Cord?
Usually, this flexible tube-like structure can grow up to 50-60 cm. It has a tough muscular structure with two main layers. The outer layer is smooth and the inner layer contains a gelatinous fluid called Wharton’s jelly.
There are three main vessels within the cord: two arteries and a vein. The vein carries pure blood and oxygen to the embryo. The two large arteries carry the deoxygenated blood away from the foetus.
Now as the umbilical cord enters the embryo through the abdomen it branches into two. One branch joins the hepatic portal vein in the liver and the other connects to the inferior vena cava in the heart. These form a circuit between the growing embryo and the mother’s placenta.
In rare cases, the umbilical cord doesn’t form inside the embryo properly. It can tie around the baby’s neck, arms or legs during pregnancy or labour. For twins, it can be even more dangerous because they share an amniotic sac.
But ultrasound can detect any issue with the function of the umbilical cord. Let’s take a look at these issues in depth.
Potential Problems of the Function of the Umbilical Cord
In addition to stunted growth inside the embryo, there are five other issues that an ultrasound can detect. These include the following:
1. Nuchal cord
During delivery, the umbilical cord could be coiled around the infant’s neck. This illness is actually highly common. Once the baby’s head is out, the chord is typically readily untangled, and delivery continues normally. Before the baby’s shoulders are delivered, however, the chord may need to be clamped and cut if it is wrapped too tightly.
2. Single umbilical artery
Although this condition is rare, sometimes an artery can be missing from the umbilical cord. This can cause the deoxygenated and nutrient-depleted blood and waste to not leave the embryo properly. While experts haven’t zeroed in on the actual cause of this problem, it can cause many health issues.
When a woman is carrying two or more infants, this condition develops more frequently. The baby’s digestive system, kidneys, and heart may have issues if there is only one umbilical artery. If this illness is discovered while you are pregnant, you will have specific testing to track the health of your unborn child.
These include birth defects, heart problems, and even chromosomal problems. Issues with the nervous system, and the urinary tract are also possible.
But you do not have to worry because ultrasound can detect a single umbilical artery. And your doctor can explain a possible solution as well.
3. Umbilical cord prolapse
During labour, when the baby passes through the birth canal, sometimes the umbilical cord might prolapse. This means it can either slip into the canal or get compressed by the baby during childbirth.
This can potentially harm the baby’s blood supply or completely cut it off. It can also become life-threatening if the baby is not delivered immediately.
Umbilical cord prolapse is more likely if:
- The infant is lying breech, or foot first.
- The mother is giving birth prematurely.
- Too much umbilical cord is present.
- The amniotic fluid level is excessive.
- To initiate or hasten labour, the healthcare provider tears the membranes.
- The mother is giving birth to twins vaginally. More frequently, the second twin is impacted.
4. Umbilical cord cysts
In rare cases, cysts can develop inside the umbilical cord. This condition can only be detected by an ultrasound.
There are real cysts and false cysts.
- True cysts have a cell-lined interior and typically still have some of the early embryonic features present.
- False cysts are sacs filled with fluid that may be connected to an enlargement of the Wharton’s jelly.
When this happens, the cyst can cause abnormalities in the child’s chromosomes, kidneys and even abdomen.
Typically, it is found during an ultrasound of the first trimester. On the other hand, cysts discovered later in the pregnancy can point to a hereditary disorder or another issue. Your healthcare professional would probably advise a thorough ultrasound examination and genetic testing if this kind of cyst is discovered.
Function of umbilical cord: When the cord wraps around the baby’s neck, doctors are able to manipulate it from outside, or they may unwrap or cut it at the time of delivery. | Image courtesy: Wikimedia
5. Umbilical cord knots
This is perhaps one of the most common problems during pregnancy and delivery. The cord wraps around the baby’s neck, arms or legs. However, most doctors are able to manipulate the cord from outside, or they may unwrap or cut it at the time of delivery.
The infant is usually unharmed as long as the knot is loose. The baby’s oxygen supply may be cut off if the knot or knots are pulled too tightly, though, in some cases.
In 5% of situations, cord tangles lead to miscarriage or stillbirth. Fetal monitoring can pick up on irregular heartbeats in the baby during labour and delivery if the knot is getting tighter. A caesarean delivery could be required in specific circumstances.
In very rare cases, the umbilical cord gets tied in knots. This can be life-threatening because it cuts off blood supply, oxygen and food to the baby.
6. Velamentous cord insertion
The umbilical cord is linked to the amniotic membrane or the side of the placenta rather than travelling straight through the centre as is typical in velamentous cord insertion and marginal cord insertion. In contrast to being attached directly into the placenta, where they would be shielded by a gel-like substance known as Wharton’s jelly, this leaves the capillaries of the cord more exposed.
7. Vasa Previa
In some other rare cases, the blood vessels within the cord might shift. They might come out of the protection of the umbilical cord and slide down under the baby.
This can cause tears in the vessels and lead to fatal bleeding. If a pregnant woman starts bleeding during her second or third trimester, it could be because of vasa previa. She must get immediate medical attention in such a scenario.
During pregnancy, a woman may be more susceptible to vasa previa if she:
- The cord’s insertion is velamentous (the umbilical cord inserts abnormally into the foetal membranes, instead of the centre of the placenta)
- Has placenta previa, which is an abnormally low-lying placenta that partially or completely covers the cervix.
- Is carrying many children
Most of these health issues are rare. And chances are your ultrasound will be completely clear. So once you have the go-ahead from your doctor, you can discuss what you want to do with the umbilical cord and cord blood.
What is the Main Function of Umbilical Cord Blood?
As mentioned before, cord blood is the blood that flows from the mother to the baby in the womb through the umbilical cord. It is very rich in stem cells and has the potential to grow into different cells, tissues, and organs.
It also has the power to save the baby, as well as his family members, from potentially life-threatening illnesses.
Ideally, cord blood is extracted, screened, and stored by doctors at the time of childbirth.
“It is like the normal procedure of drawing blood from the body through a syringe, except that normal human blood is drawn from the vein, either for a test or for transfusion.
In this case, it is drawn from the baby’s umbilical cord just after birth and stored in a cord blood bank for use later to cure haematological or immunological disorders,” explains Dr Rahul Naithani, Senior Consultant and Head of Haematology & Bone Marrow Transplantation, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Delhi.
Once the blood is drawn it is stored for future use.
Umbilical Cord Blood Storage
The umbilical cord blood is used for stem cell regeneration. It is also important for bone marrow transplant or cord blood transplant. Here, cord blood transplant or bone marrow transplant is only for hematopoietic stem cell transplant (blood-forming stem cells). Dr Naithani explains,
“Cord blood banking or storage is useful only for blood disorders and not for other degenerative or neurological disorders.
If a patient with blood cancer or other haematological disorder needs a hematopoietic stem cell transplant or bone marrow transplant and if he has only one sibling with whom there is only 25 per cent chance of matching, in such cases cord blood cells can be the saviours.”
He adds that this is because cord blood cells are naïve cells.
“They are less likely to hurt (i.e. be rejected by the recipient’s body) the patient because they have not been trained to hurt. So with cord blood, even if we don’t have a full match, we can still use it for transplant unlike in bone marrow transplant where a full match is necessary,” adds Dr Naithani.
Although you must know that cord blood banking can be a bit pricey. It can range anywhere between $1,500 to $1,900. It may cost more if enrollment fees and taxes are added. But if you feel that cord blood banking could potentially help your baby in the future, then this is clearly an option you should explore.
But even after most of the umbilical cord is taken away, some of it still stays attached to the baby as a “stump.” This umbilical cord stump usually dries out and falls off on its own after two to three weeks.
Till that time, you will have to take care of that area gently.
Where Does Umbilical Cord Fall Off?
A tiny umbilical cord stump remains after the cord has been cut. In one to three weeks, this tissue fragment gradually dries out and comes off. You’ll need to keep it dry and clean until it does. Learn more about how to take care of your baby’s cord stump.
Of course, your child will still have their belly button as a memento of their time tied to you. Whether your infant has an innie or an outie is out of your hands. Your baby’s belly button might change over time as they grow depending on how the umbilical cord was tied to the baby’s tummy during pregnancy.
How to Care For Umbilical Cord Stump?
In order to care for your baby’s stump, here are a few things you may need to bear in mind.
1. Let the stump dry on its own
Until recently, new parents were advised to rub 70 per cent alcohol on their newborn’s umbilical cord stump. The reason behind the practice was the belief that rubbing alcohol removes bacterial agents and keeps the stump clean.
However, recent studies prove that rubbing alcohol over an umbilical cord stump only prolongs its healing process. A study published by the National Centre for Biotechnology information (NCBI) uncovered that “the use of antibacterial agents to clean and dry the stump of the newborns’ umbilical cord (UC) after birth has been abandoned by many neonatal units in favor of dry cord care.”
On the other hand, exposing the stump to dry air significantly reduces the healing time. “Dry cord care is an easy, straight-forward, and safe method of handling the UC in healthy newborn infants born in a high-income hospital setting,” the researchers note.
So, following dry stump care is in fact, the best way to help it quickly fall off on its own. Just remember to fold your baby’s diaper downwards so that it doesn’t touch or irritate the stump.
2. Opt for a sponge bath
While a regular bath may seem like the best thing for your newborn, a sponge bath is actually a better idea. This way, you do not wet the stump and allow it to heal faster.
You will only need to give him sponge baths till his umbilical cord stump falls off on its own by the third or fourth week. Then you can graduate him to proper baths in a tub.
3. Let it fall off
You might get tempted to remove the stump by yourself. But, refrain from doing so. Let the stump dry and fall off on its own. Until it dries out completely, it is still very much a part of your baby’s body.
So be gentle and extremely careful while cleaning around the area and even holding him, as you do. Your aim should be to help keep the area around the stump dry.
Function of umbilical cord: Allow the stump to dry and fall off from your baby’s tummy on its own. | Image courtesy: Flickr
However, if you notice that the stump is taking on a pink colour, or has become red and swollen, you must rush to the doctor. Although a bit of bleeding is a normal step in the healing process, red or excessively pink stumps could indicate an infection.
Also, remember to speak with your doctor if the stump hasn’t fallen off even after four weeks.
Once it falls, you can either throw it away or keep it for memory’s sake. Because there are some creative parents who choose to preserve the umbilical cord as art. Yes, that’s correct.
Role Of Umbilical Cord As A Piece Of Art
Some parents prefer to preserve the umbilical stump that dries and falls off the baby within 15 days. Other mums prefer to wear the cord as a piece of jewellery.
Nic Kamminga, the UK-based owner of Tree of Opals, a company that makes such jewellery, told BBC,
“I think parents want to keep it because it’s the last physical bond you have with your baby…In a world with digital photos it’s nice to have something physical. When I post on my Facebook, some people think it’s gross but others think it’s amazing.”
Still, others prefer to burn the umbilical cord. This is often done for traditional reasons.
Whatever your choice, the fact is that the role of the umbilical cord is not limited to when it’s inside the mother.
What you do with the umbilical cord is completely your choice. If you want to preserve it, you can opt for cord blood banking, or you can turn it into a piece of art. Or transform it into a keepsake. The choice is yours.
Function of umbilical cord
Updates from Matt Doctor
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