These can be the late effects of an umbilical cord node
The child is supplied with oxygen and nutrients by the mother via the vessels running in the umbilical cord. If the vessels are squeezed, an acute undersupply occurs. Especially the child’s brain reacts very sensitively to a lack of oxygen.
This can lead to severe brain damage and even intrauterine (in the uterus) death of the unborn child. If the supply is permanently restricted, there are considerable growth delays, organ malformations, e.g. heart defects with subsequent heart failure or kidney malformations and kidney failure. In addition, the risk of developing necrotic enterocolitis, a severe inflammation of the intestine, increases after birth. In severe cases, parts of the intestine must be removed. There is also an increased risk of sudden infant death, neurological diseases such as epilepsy or psychological diseases such as attention deficit syndrome (ADHD) or eating disorders.
How to prevent an umbilical cord knot
Umbilical cord knots can neither be prevented nor strengthened from the outside. If a number of risk factors are present, regular check-ups may help to detect the development of an umbilical cord node and to intensify the monitoring of the unborn child. In the rarest cases, however, an asymptomatic node can be detected in the preventive examinations. Most nodes remain without symptoms until birth. You therefore do not need to abstain from exercise or sports.
What is a false umbilical cord knot?
A false umbilical cord knot is a looping of the vessels within the umbilical cord or a local thickening of the umbilical cord (Wharton’s jelly), which resembles a knot in ultrasound. With a false umbilical cord node, however, the blood flow is not restricted and there is no undersupply. There is no need for therapy and the birth can take place naturally.
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