Information about conditions is provided as a service to our patients for educational purposes only. If you understand your condition, you will be able to do the things necessary to rehabilitate much faster.. Please feel free to print the information so that you can refer to it often. Sharing of information is quite risky, however. Do not presume that information is meant for you if you have not seen the doctor and received a specific diagnosis. Some conditions share similar symptoms but require very different treatment.
The umbilical cord connects a baby in the womb to its mother. It runs from an opening in your babyâs stomach to the placenta in the womb. The average cord is about 50cm (20 inches) long.
What is the umbilical cord and what does it do? The umbilical cord is the life-line that attaches the placenta to the fetus. The umbilical cord is made up of three blood vessels: two smaller arteries which carry blood to the placenta and a larger vein which returns blood to the fetus. It can grow to be 60 cm long, allowing the baby enough cord to safely move around without causing damage to the cord or the placenta. After the baby is born, the cord is cut (something the babyâs father may wish to do); the remaining section will heal and form the babyâs belly button.