Neonate with a single umbilical vessel: a case report.
BACKGROUND
The respiratory, metabolic and excretory functions of the placenta provide maintenance of fetuses in utero even in the presence of severe malformations that preclude postnatal survival.


METHODS
A 17-year-old secundigravida delivered a 1,075-g liveborn in the 30th week of gestation. The infant was severely malformed, with gastroschisis and a short umbilical cord, and survived for 62 minutes after birth. The placenta was examined pathologically, and a complete an autopsy was performed. The cord measured 13.0 cm long, the limit for absolute shortness. An 8.0-cm segment was found to contain only 1 umbilical vessel, basically a vein, with segmental arterial pads.


CONCLUSIONS
The concurrence in a liveborn infant of malformations so severe it could not be sustained, a segment of umbilical cord with only 1 vessel and postnatal survival of 62 minutes emphasizes the biologic distinction between existence and vitality.
Shanklin
D Radford
DR
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, 930 Madison Avenue, Suite 599, Memphis, TN 38163, USA. radfordcrawford@juno.com
Zhang
Jie
J
D000013:Congenital Abnormalities; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D020139:Gastroschisis / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010920:Placenta / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D014470:Umbilical Cord / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology