Abstract: Introduction: The umbilical cord is Vital for the Development, Wellbeing and Survival of the Foetus and Yet, It is Vulnerable to Kinking, Compressions, Traction and Torsion, Which may affect the Perinatal Outcome. Vessels are the most Vulnerable part of the Foetal Anatomy.
Material and Methods: This was a Prospective study hich Was Carried Out in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at B R Ambedkar Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka, India, from January 2016 To January 2018. 100 Patients Who Were in Active Labour with Term Gestations, Irrespective of Their Parities, Who had Singleton Pregnancies with live babies who were either delivered by vaginal or Lscs were included in the study. Patients were observed in second and third stages of Labour. After separating baby from umbilical cord, the cord was tied and cut as close to baby as Possible. The umbilical cord was measured in Its Entireity, Including the length of the Placental end of the cord and umbilical stump on the Baby. Number of complete coils or spirals were counted from Neonatal end towards the Placental end of Cord and it was expressed in Cm. After this, UCI was calculated by dividing the total Number of Coils by the total length of cord in Cm. Then, perinatal factors like meconium staining, Foetal Weight, Apgar score and Ponderal index were correlated with UCI. Thus, the effect of umbilical vascular coiling on perinatal outcome was carried out. All patients and babies were followed till they were discharged.
Results: UCI Which Was < 10th Percentile < 0.06, was considered as Hypocoiling whereas UCI which was > 90th Percentile > 0.48 was considered as Hypercoiling. 56 Cords showed normal coiling, 14 showed Hypocoiling, and 22 showed Hypercoiling. 22 babies weighed < 2.5kg. Meconium staining liquor was present in 35 cases. An apgar score at 1 Min of < 4 was observed in 31 Cases and that of > 4 was seen in 69 Cases. Apgar score at 5 Min was <7 Min in 28 Cases and it was > 7 Min in 72 Cases. The Twist of the cord was Dextral in 27 Cases and it was Sinistral in 73 Cases. 25 Babies were admitted to the Nicu. 65 were males and 35 were females.