All issues > Volume 52(6); 2009

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2009;52(6):655-660. Published online June 15, 2009.

Multicenter clinical study on birth weight and associated anomalies of single umbilical artery

Su-Nam SN Bae¹, Jae-Woo JW Lim¹, Kyong-Og KO Ko¹, Hyun-Seung HS Jin², Min-Hee MH Kim³, Bo-Young BY Lee⁴, Chun-Soo CS Kim⁴, Eun-Ryoung ER Kim⁵, Sang-Kee SK Park⁶, Jung-Joo JJ Lee⁷

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Konyang University
²Department of Pediatrics, Gangneung Asan Medical Hospital
³Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Konkuk University Hospital
⁴Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Keimyung University Hospital
⁵Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Sung-Ae General Hospital
⁶Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Chosun University Hospital
⁷Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Chung Ang University, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Jae-Woo JW Lim ,Email: limsoa@hanmail.net

Abstract

Purpose
: To compare birth weight between infants with a single umbilical artery (SUA) and normal infants, investigate the associated anomalies of infants with SUA and isolated SUA (no abnormality of external appearance on birth, except SUA), and determine the prognosis of infants with isolated SUA.
Methods
: Live-born infants with SUA (n=59) detected by physical examination from among 15,193 live births in seven university hospitals in Korea between January 1, 2004, to August 1, 2007, were reviewed retrospectively, with 236 normal infants serving as the control group.
Results
: A statistical difference was observed between the groups in birth weight and in vitro fertilization. The incidence of infants with SUA was 0.37%. Congenital malformations were observed in 21 infants with cardiovascular (n=15, 25.4%), gastrointestinal (n=2, 3.4%), genitourinary (n=9, 15.3%), neuromusculoskeletal (n=6, 10.2%), central nervous system (n=1, 1.7%), chromosomal (n=1, 1.7%), and other (n=3, 5.1%) abnormalities. There were 49 (83.1%) infants with isolated SUA in this study population; among them, the associated congenital malformations were cardiovascular (n=6, 12.2%) and genitourinary (n=6, 12.2%) abnormalities. Two infants with cyanotic heart disease were operated and four infants with acyanotic heart disease showed improvements without any treatment. Six infants with genitourinary abnormalities on renal ultrasound had mild hydronephrosis without further consequences.
Conclusion
: The incidence of structural abnormalities in the cardiovascular and genitourinary systems is high and the genitourinary anomalies associated with isolated SUA have relatively good prognosis.

Keywords :Umbilical artery, Congenital malformation