What to do if the fetus is in an abnormal position and the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck

After a woman becomes pregnant, she needs to go to the hospital for regular prenatal checkups, which can not only detect fetal malformations in a timely manner, but also provide full guarantees for the health of mother and baby. It is very common for the umbilical cord to be wrapped around the neck of a fetus, accounting for about one-fifth of the cases. Factors causing the umbilical cord to be wrapped around the neck include a small fetal head, a long umbilical cord and fetal movement. What should I do if the fetus is in an abnormal position and the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck? Let’s take a look at the relevant introduction.

1. Can it be detached?

The fetus has intelligence and is very smart. When feeling uncomfortable, he will take the initiative to move to get out of trouble. Sometimes when you gently pat the fetus on your abdomen, the fetus will actively move to the other side and away from the patted area. Under B-ultrasound, it is often seen that when the B-ultrasound probe presses the expectant mother's abdomen with a little force, the fetus will feel the pressure and dodge to the side. Some fetuses are even more interesting and will stretch out their little feet to kick the pressed position.

When the umbilical cord is wrapped around the fetus and is wrapped tightly, making the fetus feel uncomfortable, he will move around, looking for a comfortable position, moving left and right. When the fetus turns back, the umbilical cord will naturally be untangled and the fetus will be able to rest comfortably for a while. Of course, if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck too many times, the baby will have fewer opportunities to move on its own.

II. Suggestions

(1) Learn to count fetal movements. If the fetal movements are too many or too few, go to the hospital for examination in time;

(2) If there is too much or too little amniotic fluid or the fetus is in an abnormal position, a prenatal check-up should be done;

(3) Determine the condition of the umbilical cord through indirect methods such as fetal heart monitoring and ultrasound examination;

(4) Do not request a caesarean section due to fear of umbilical cord accidents.

(5) What you need to pay attention to is to reduce vibration and sleep on your left side.

(6) You can use a home fetal heart rate monitor (Doppler fetal heart rate monitor) twice a day at home to check the fetal condition regularly and seek medical attention in time if any problems are found;

3. Whether to perform cesarean section

Ultrasound examination has become an important means of prenatal examination. Ultrasound can show whether the fetus has the umbilical cord around the neck, the number of times the cord is wrapped around the neck, and how tight it is. On the longitudinal section of the fetal head and neck, there is a "V"-shaped pressure mark on the back of the fetal neck, indicating that the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck once, a "W"-shaped pressure mark indicates that the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck twice, and a wavy pressure mark indicates that the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck for more than two weeks.

The umbilical cord is elastic, and its blood vessels are longer than the length of the umbilical cord. The blood vessels are spirally coiled and have great stretchability. After the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck, as long as the umbilical cord is not pulled excessively and the blood flow of the umbilical cord is not affected, most fetuses will not show any abnormalities, so there is no need to panic if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck. However, if the umbilical cord is wrapped too tightly 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 of the fetal brain tissue, resulting in intrauterine distress or even stillbirth. If the umbilical cord is found around the neck of the fetus in the late pregnancy, the pregnant woman should reduce activity, pay attention to rest, learn to count fetal movements, and go to the hospital for examination in time if the fetal movement is too much or too little.

After discovering the umbilical cord around the neck, a caesarean section is not necessarily required. During delivery, if the umbilical cord is not tightly wrapped around the neck and is long enough, a caesarean section is not required. Only when there are many and tight cord loops around the neck, the umbilical cord is relatively too short, the fetal head does not descend or there are obvious abnormalities in the fetal heart rate, should surgery be considered.