Is the fetus in danger if the umbilical cord is around the neck for three weeks?

During a woman's pregnancy, for the healthy development of the baby, she must go to the hospital for check-ups at any time and pay attention to the physical health of the pregnant woman and the development and growth of the baby. Common examinations include color ultrasound and B-ultrasound. The doctor can clearly observe the baby's developmental status. A common problem during the observation is the baby's umbilical cord wrapped around the neck. So, is the fetus in danger if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck for three weeks? Let me give you a brief introduction below.

The umbilical cord of the fetus is wrapped around the neck.

It is very common for the umbilical cord to be wrapped around the neck among pregnant women. The umbilical cord is very loose around the neck and will not affect blood circulation, let alone endanger the fetus. The reason why the umbilical cord is wrapped around the fetus' neck is because the fetus has many activities in the womb, such as rolling, spinning, and turning in circles. When the fetus is moving, it is easy for the umbilical cord to wrap around the neck once or more than once.

In addition, there are several other reasons that may cause the umbilical cord to wrap around the neck:

1. The umbilical cord is too long. The umbilical cord itself is relatively long and has elasticity and flexibility. The fetus may pull the umbilical cord too long when moving.

2. The uterus has little room for movement. As the fetus grows older, the space for movement in the uterus becomes narrower and narrower. The fetus's movements inside are also restricted and it can only rotate its body, which can easily cause the umbilical cord to wrap around the neck.

3. Too much amniotic fluid. When there is too much amniotic fluid, the fetus will roll and rotate inside, causing the umbilical cord to become tangled.

4. The fetus is too small: If the fetus is not well developed and is too small, it will have too much space to move around in the uterine cavity and the long umbilical cord will easily get tangled.

Is it dangerous if the fetus is around the neck for three weeks?

Don’t worry. Although the umbilical cord around the neck may bring some danger to the fetus, not all cases are serious. Generally, there is no big problem if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck for two or three weeks.

If the fetus is around the neck for less than 2 weeks and there are no other special circumstances, as long as the prenatal examination is normal, there will be no problem with normal delivery. If the fetus is around the neck for 3 weeks or more, doctors will generally recommend a caesarean section. Especially for women who are giving birth for the first time, because the delivery time is long and the baby is very likely to suffer from hypoxia, so caesarean section is safer.

Umbilical cord around the neck is actually not scary

The umbilical cord blood vessels are longer than the umbilical cord, and are usually curled in a spiral shape. The umbilical cord itself is wrapped in gelatin and has a certain degree of elasticity. Therefore, the number of times it wraps around the neck has no direct relationship with the survival rate of the fetus.

According to statistics, the incidence of umbilical cord around the neck is 20%-25%, that is to say, one out of every 4-5 fetuses is found to have the umbilical cord wrapped around the neck at birth. Many have the umbilical cord wrapped around the neck 3 or even 7 times, and the children are all fine.

Of course, accidents can happen. If the umbilical cord is too tight around the neck, the umbilical blood vessels may be compressed, resulting in obstructed blood circulation or compression of the fetal jugular vein, causing ischemia and hypoxia in the fetal brain tissue, leading to intrauterine distress or even stillbirth, stillbirth or neonatal asphyxia.