Umbilical cord encirclements and fetal growth restriction.

Abstract

To establish whether the presence of umbilical cord encirclements around the fetal body influence fetal growth. The encirclements, cord length, gestational age, and fetal weight at birth were recorded for 11,201 births occurring at our hospital during 1991-1994. The presence of umbilical cord encirclements is associated with fetal growth restriction (FGR), the severity of the restriction being positively related to the number of encirclements. Umbilical cord encirclements are also associated with a relative lengthening of the umbilical cord. Because there is a positive correlation between cord length and fetal weight, this association tends to offset the effects of the encirclements, giving the newborns a more normal birth weight than they would have had otherwise. The net result, however, is negative. Umbilical cord encirclements are associated with FGR.