The umbilical cord

It is through the umbilical cord that the arteries carry blood from the embryo to the chorionic villi/the mother, and the umbilical vein returns blood carrying nutrient to the embryo.

At birth, the cord is already mature about 50 to 60 cm in length and 12 mm in diameter. A long cord is defined as more than 100 cm and a short cord as less than 30 cm. There may be as many as 40 spiral twists in the cord, as well as false knots and true knots.

The umbilical cord can be found in loops around the baby's neck in approximately 23% of normal spontaneous vertex deliveries. Pregnancy, during which the placenta nourishes the foetus, lasts 39 to 40 weeks (280 days from last menstrual period or 3 trimesters).