Hyper & hypo coiling of umbilical cord

Any adverse effect of Undercoiled   and overcoiled   cords? Ans: Such undercoiling    and overcoiling have been noticed in fair number of occasions.     These have been seen at all gestational ages. Hypocoiling is bad with poor foetal prognosis in some cases. In one report hypocoiling of the cord was associated with increased incidence of fetal demise decelerations, operative delivery    for fetal distress, intrapartum   fetal heart rate   decelerations, operative delivery    for fetal distress, structural and chromosomal abnormalities   and choriamniotics.

Hypercoiling, similarly is  associated with   increased  incidence of fetal growth   restriction intrapartum fetal heart rate decelerations,  vascular  thrombosis   and cord stenosis . Of note it is not clear to the investigators whether   abnormal coiling was actually  a cause of the pathology  or one of the sequelae or both  .

Other reports    describe   abnormal   cord coiling in association    with fetal demise fetal intolerance to labor preterm delivery, fetal structural  and chromosomal abnormalities   velamentous cord insertion SUA , IUGR  and chorioamnionitis. Abnormal cord overcoiling has also been associated  with thrombosis   of chorionic  plate  vessels  and of the umbilical   vein. Thus it appears    that abnormal   cord coiling is a chronic and acute effect on the fetus. The underlying cause of abnormal cord coiling is not   known nor is it understood why the degree of coiling is of importance to fetal wellbeing.