The effects of umbilical cord entanglement upon labor management and fetal health: retrospective case control study

Abstract

Objective: This retrospective study aimed at determining prognostic factors that paved the way for umbilical cord entanglement (UCE) and the effects of UCE upon labor management and fetal health.

Methods: Sixty women who gave term birth with head presentation and received UCE diagnosis following birth composed the case group while another 60 women with the same characteristics who were selected with randomized sampling method and who did not develop UCE comprised the control group. The data obtained were processed with SPSS 22.0 statistical program. T test was used for comparing demographic and obstetric data and mean birth weight of babies in the case group and control group. For comparing data on active labor management and fetal health, numbers, percentages and chi-square test were used. Also for comparing values <5, Fisher’s chi-square test was employed.

Results: Emergent cesarean delivery (case: 58.3.0%; control: 21.7%), vacuum assisted vaginal delivery (case: 20.0%; control: 3.3%), forceps assisted vaginal delivery (case: 8.3%; control: 1.7%), fetal distress (case: 60.0%; control: 25.0%), amniotic fluid meconium (case: 58.3%; control: 21.7%), APGAR score less than 7 at the 1st minute (case: 58.3%; control: 21.7%) and APGAR score less than 7 at the 5th minute were higher in the women in the case group than the women in the control group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: UCE increased rates of interventional birth, emergent cesarean delivery, vacuum assisted vaginal delivery, forceps assisted vaginal delivery, amniotic fluid meconium and fetal distress.

Keywords:

• Umbilical cord entanglement
• labor management
• fetal health

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.