Umbilical cord encirclements and Apgar scores.
OBJECTIVE
To establish the relative influence of umbilical cord encirclements versus fetal growth restriction in determining fetal outcome.


METHODS
Twelve thousand and thirty-nine singleton births were studied. The number of cord encirclements were noted. Fetal growth restriction was measured as standard deviations from gestational weight. Fetal outcome was determined by using Apgar scores after 5 minutes.


RESULTS
For growth restricted babies, Apgar 5 was not affected by the presence of encirclements when corrected for the level of FGR. Only for infants larger-for-date did the encirclements affect their Apgar score.


CONCLUSIONS
The poorer outcome for babies with cord encirclements and fetal growth restriction is due to the accompanying level of growth restriction.
Sørnes
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Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Akershus Central Hospital, Nordbyhagen, Norway.
D001034:Apgar Score; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000503:physiopathology; D005320:Fetal Macrosomia / Q000503:physiopathology; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000502:physiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D014470:Umbilical Cord