Umbilical cord length: Complications

Umbilical cord length varies, with a range of 35–70 cm at birth being regarded as normal. Both shorter and longer cords are associated with increased rates of intrapartum complications. UC length is thus a significant factor when assessing fetal risk. Antenatal estimation of cord length is however extremely difficult. Traction force produced by fetal movements in the first trimester is assumed to be the crucial growth stimulus of the cord. A short UC is thus associated with reduced fetal movement and all its respective causes (e.g. malformation, myopathies, neuropathies, oligohydramnios).

What is a short umbilical cord?

An umbilical cord is considered short if it is less than 35 cm at term, although some researchers and clinicians consider 40 cm or even 45 cm to be short.

Complications of short umbilical cords for the baby including:

• Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)
• Cerebral palsy
• Umbilical cord rupture
• Breech presentation
• Miscarriage/stillbirth
• Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR)
• Placental disruption (difficulty transferring nutrients from the placenta to the baby)

Complications of short umbilical cord for the mother:

• Placental abruption
• Inversion of the uterus
• Prolonged labor
• Retained placenta
• Hemorrhage (caused by placental abruption)

It's still not clear whether there's any clear method of assessing UC length in utero using ultrasound, but an attempt to do this will have little success because fetal movement and cord flexibility makes it wrap and fold so that a full viewable length is not possible.