Short Umbilical Cord

Short umbilical cord is indicative of less fetal movement. It is thought that the length of the umbilical cord depends on the intrauterine movement. If the baby does not move, the cord is short. The normal human umbilical cord reaches 60-70 cm. or even more. The length of the umbilical cord has no effect on the fetal blood flow. However, a long umbilical cord is considered more dangerous as it can be knotted, entangled aroung the fetus and the neck, or prolapse out of uterus during delivery.

Some medical researchers associte cordal length with physical and mental development of the fetus. Shorter cords can be related to motor abnormalities or decreased IQ, but they are not the cause of that. Usually, it is the opposite, if the fetus is less active the cord length is shorter.


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Similary to length, cord twisting is related to the movement of the fetus in uterus.

If the umbilical cord is short, it is a good idea to have additional tests for the fetus growth and development, as well as to check if possible the exact length of the umbilical cord.

There are different cases with short umbilical cords. Sometimes the cord is so short, that vaginal delivery causes rapture of the placenta or the cord. This can lead to vacuum extraction, or getting out the placenta in pieces.

In other cases the cord is short, but the baby can be delivered vaginally. It cannot be placed on the mother's tummy immediately if the cord is not cut.

In other cases the cord is short, but does not affect the delivery.

If a short umbilical cord is detected. It is a good idea to be monitored and if necessary to be scheduled cesarean delivery to avoid long and complicated labor.

If there is a short umbilical cord, it is a good advice to go for a second opion from a fetal specialist. Sometimes, even if you have a picture of ideal delivery it is important to consider all factors and get ready to take action if necessary to avert unnecessary complications at delivery.

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