The umbilical cord is the fetal structure that feeds the foal nutrients and oxygen and removes many wastes while the is in the uterus. It works by circulating the fetal blood through the placenta. Here the close apposition with the maternal blood supply allows diffusion of oxygen, nutrients and waste products across the membranes. The cord also contains the urachus which transports urine into the allantoic sac.

Excessive twisting or the cord can result in obstruction resulting in congenital defects or abortion. Twisting alone is not enough to diagnose this condition as it is normal and occurs due to fetal motility. This article discusses diagnosis of this condition.

Twisting of the cord occurs as the fetus moves around the uterus in the first 7 or 8 months. Studies have found that almost 80% of all cords have twists with an average of 4.4 turns per cord but many more turns are often seen in healthy births. Twists have been found as early as the beginning of the 3rd month. Other changes in the cord can be found less often in the normal foal. Small fluid filled swellings, from dilations of the urachus, may be present in the umbilical cord. So how do you know when this is the problem?