Images in Clinical Medicine
Complex Umbilical-Cord Knot
N Engl J Med 2003; 349:159July 10, 2003
- Article
A 29-year-old woman was in spontaneous labor at term after an uncomplicated pregnancy. The second stage of labor was notable for persistent, severe, and variable decelerations in the fetal heart rate. She had spontaneous vaginal delivery of a 3.7-kg infant. The Apgar score was 8 and 9 at one and five minutes, respectively. The umbilical cord was noted to have a compound knot. True knots in the umbilical cord occur in approximately 1 percent of all deliveries. Most knots are single, are innocuous, and do not lead to an adverse neonatal outcome. Compound knots, as in this case, are rare, and their relation to intrapartum asphyxia is unknown. This infant was in good condition, without any clinical evidence of intrapartum asphyxia.
William Camann, M.D.
James Marquardt, M.D.
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115- Citing Articles (3)
Citing Articles
1
V. Minas, A. Pilsniak. (2011) An uncommon compound umbilical cord knot. Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology 31:2, 183-184
CrossRef2
Dario Meluzzi, Douglas E. Smith, Gaurav Arya. (2010) Biophysics of Knotting. Annual Review of Biophysics 39:1, 349-366
CrossRef3
Spencer, Norman A., . (2003) Complex Umbilical-Cord Knot. New England Journal of Medicine 349:14, 1389-1390
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