Umbilical cord w/ one each artery and vein

[copslass]

Please help! I'm not finding the "search" button, and I know this subject has come up here before.

A friend, planning a vbac, was just told that her baby's cord has only two blood vessels, one artery and one vein. Seems to me that I've read about this (maybe by midwife Penny oh-I-can't-remember-her-last-name-right-now) not likely to cause serious problems for the baby.

Anyone have information on this? Pamamidwife? Anyone else?

TIA!

[ctdoula]

While I don't think it will/can cause problems with the baby in terms of birth (VBAC, etc), 2 vessel cords are sometimes related to heart problems/defects in the baby. I'm assuming your friend has had a Level II U/S to check the heart, etc. They'll probably also watch the baby after birth for heart issues too. That's about all I know. Hopefully things will work out just fine & it's just 'one of those things'

[obnurse]

I have never seen it cause a problem with birth. A 2 vessel cord is sometimes related to a defect or problem with the kidneys (but certainly not always). Just something to watch for after the baby is born.

[copslass]

Thanks for your replies!

Any more out there? Or is that the crux of it? Basically, no increased problems during birth, but possibly testing immediately following birth?

Thanks again.

[LaLaLuna]

Is this mom planning a homebirth? I think this might be a situation where she'd maybe consider a hospital birth (and one with a NICU with experienced staff, for choice) The one baby I saw born with a two vessel cord had multiple problems (even after getting a "clean" ECHO in utero) and had to be ventilated shortly after birth. Among other things. Not to be a fear-monger, but as adamantly as I believe in home birth, I believe even more so in upping the odds for your baby, especially when there might be cause for concern prior to birth.

[2+twins]

One of my best friends had a baby with a 2 vessel cord at her last birth. They told her that the possible implications were that, since the baby was only getting half of it's oxygen & nutrient supply (due to one less vessel bringing it all in), that there was a chance the baby could have birth defects and be small. From what I read online, the baby would likely measure small in the last trimester, if that was going to be a problem at all. Her baby was born 9lb 5 1/2oz with no birth defects. She had a level 2 u/s and an amniocentesis done (her baby also had multiple cysts on her brain which all went away prior to birth).