Umbilical Cord Blood Bank

One blood vessel in the umbilical cord instead of three?

My best friends having a baby, shes 6 months along and the doctor told her the umbilical cord only had one blood vessel instead of the normal three. She said all the doctor would tell her is that shed be needing to come in for alot more sonograms. Anyone know what could of caused this? What could happen to the baby and if she should worry?

Public Comments

1. She shouldnt worry. I don't want to scare you or your friend, but it is usually a sign of a birth defect in the child. Her doctor will tell her more and help her handle it. Just try to be there for your friend, in case something is very wrong, and remember that it could be a mistake on the sonogram, or it could mean nothing at all. Good Luck to your friend and her baby!!!
2. my friend just had a baby and when she was pregnant the doc said that there were only 2 blood vessels instead of three, her baby turned out okay as far as i know. good luck to your friend and i hope its nothing serious.
3. Here is a great link from March of dimes regarding infant cord blood vessels. http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_4546.asp Here is a little from that site: About 1 percent of singleton and about 5 percent of multiple pregnancies (twins, triplets or more) have an umbilical cord that contains only two blood vessels, instead of the normal three. In these cases, one artery is missing (2). The cause of this abnormality, called single umbilical artery, is unknown. Studies suggest that babies with single umbilical artery have an increased risk for birth defects, including heart, central nervous system and urinary-tract defects and chromosomal abnormalities (2, 3). A woman whose baby is diagnosed with single umbilical artery during a routine ultrasound may be offered certain prenatal tests to diagnose or rule out birth defects. These tests may include a detailed ultrasound, amniocentesis (to check for chromosomal abnormalities) and in some cases, echocardiography (a special type of ultrasound to evaluate the fetal heart). The provider also may recommend that the baby have an ultrasound after birth.