Malformations of the umbilical cord

Abstract

In 184 autopsies of dead newborns, stillborn infants and aborted fetuses (mostly with congenital malformations), 57 (30.98%) umbilical cord anomalies were discovered (38 M and 19 F): 19 cases with knots (10.32%), 17 with arterial agenesis (9.2%), 8 with focal fibrosis of Wharton's jelly (4.34%), 7 with varices and thrombosis (3.8%), and 6 (3.25%) with other anomalies. Thirtyone of the fetuses were born from first pregnancy, 32 were stillborn and 26 premature.