Images in Clinical Medicine
Kim Eagle, M.D., Editor
Knotted Umbilical Cord
N Engl J Med 1996; 334:573February 29, 1996
- Article
Figure 1 An umbilical cord with a true knot was discovered immediately after delivery of a baby girl to a 33-year-old woman. The mother had had two previous pregnancies and had delivered at full term with no complications. This pregnancy was complicated by gestational diabetes, and labor was induced with intravenous oxytocin at 39 weeks. The knot was not noticed during either of two ultrasound examinations performed during gestation. The baby also presented with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. Congestion of the umbilical vessels can be seen within the knot and on the maternal (right) side. The child's Apgar scores were 8 at one minute and 9 at five minutes. Both mother and daughter were discharged from the hospital within 24 hours with no complications. The mother's blood glucose concentration returned to normal within three days after delivery.
Kim Eagle, M.D.
Russ B. Altman, M.D., Ph.D.
Jeanne E. Merino, J.D.
Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
