KOLKATA: NRS Medical College and Hospital has given a fresh lease of life to a mother and her newborn by successfully conducting the delivery, after it was detected that the umbilical cord was looped around the infant's face inside the womb. Such a condition could have cut off the oxygen supply to the baby's brain.
A senior doctor at the gynecology department of the hospital said that sometimes it is found that the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby's neck once or twice. But, in this case the cord was wrapped around the infant's face five times, he added.
Experts say that in such cases the umbilical cord can 'strangle' a baby by cutting off oxygen flow to the brain or compressing the carotid artery. The umbilical cord may also become compressed against itself or the baby's neck, which reduces the flow of oxygenated blood through the umbilical cord. Although extremely rare, constriction of the umbilical cord by an amniotic band can cause its strangulation followed by a stillbirth, the doctor said.
It can be said that the umbilical cord is a lifeline for a baby in the womb. Running from the baby's abdomen to the placenta, the umbilical cord usually contains three blood vessels. It provides oxygen, blood, and nutrients to the developing fetus.
Mousumi Mondal (23), a resident of South 24-Parganas was supposed to deliver her baby at 37th week.
It was decided that normal delivery would be carried out. As the woman reported labour pain, the doctors were ready to carry out normal delivery. As the doctors faced difficulties, they conducted an ultrasound on the patient. It was found that the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby's face. Even the heart beat rate of the baby had dropped. The doctors then conducted emergency surgery. The baby
was delivered.