All issues > Volume 34(12); 1991

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1991;34(12):1641-1646. Published online December 31, 1991.

A study on the length of the human umbilical cord.

Min Hee Kim¹, Young Hyuk Lee¹, Kyo Sun Kim¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Konkuk university, college of medicine. Seoul, Korea

Received: June 10, 1991;  Accepted: August 24, 1991.

Abstract

A short umbilical cord is defined as 35 cm or less, whereas a long cord is 80 cm or more. Short umbilical cords have been associated with a delay in the second stage of labor, irregular fetal heart tones, placental abruption, rupture of the umbilical cord, inversion of the uterus, birth asphyxia, umbilical hernia and long umbilical cord have been associated more frequently with cord around neck, cord prolapse, torsion, true knot formation. To evaluate the effect of the length of the umbilical cord, apgar score, and the cord around neck of the newborn infants, authors have observed 355 umbilical cords from the women who delivered at the Konkuk University Hospital from September 1989 to June 1990. The following results were obstained. 1) The mean length of umbilical cord was 56.3±10.8cm the shortest was 20cm and longest was 90 cm. 2) The incidence of the cord around the neck was in range 12.5%. To compare between the newborn with cord around the neck had a umbilical cord length of 66.3±11.3 cm the other without cord 54.9±9.9cm therefore the mean measure can conclude that average 11.3cm in long length. 3) There was positive correlation between umbilical cord with neonatal weight, length, head circumference, chest circumference, weight gain of pregnancy and negative correlation between umbilical cord with maternal hight. 4) Statistically, the infant with cord around neck on the one minute apgar score (p<0.05) was low and expressed significant and no significant effect on five minute apgar score (p<0.1).

Keywords :Umbilical cord length;Cord around neck;Apgar score