Cord Blood Umbilical Cord 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is umbilical cord prolapse?
- The cord wrapping around the placenta
- The cord descending through the cervix ahead of the presenting fetal part (Correct answer)
- The cord detaching from the placenta prematurely
- The cord growing longer than 80 cm
Correct answer: The cord descending through the cervix ahead of the presenting fetal part
Cord prolapse occurs when the umbilical cord slips through the cervix before or alongside the fetus, risking compression and fetal hypoxia.
Question 2: In cord blood banking, what is the minimum recommended total nucleated cell (TNC) count for a unit to be considered therapeutically useful?
- 50 million cells
- 500 million cells (Correct answer)
- 5 billion cells
- 50 billion cells
Correct answer: 500 million cells
Most cord blood banks require at least 500 million total nucleated cells for a unit to be stored and considered clinically viable.
Question 3: Which maternal factor most commonly leads to a longer-than-average umbilical cord?
- Maternal diabetes
- Increased fetal movement in utero (Correct answer)
- Maternal hypertension
- Oligohydramnios
Correct answer: Increased fetal movement in utero
Greater fetal movement in utero is associated with cord elongation as traction stimulates cord growth.
Question 4: What is the ductus venosus and how does it relate to the umbilical vein?
- A valve in the umbilical artery that prevents backflow
- A fetal shunt that directs oxygenated blood from the umbilical vein directly to the inferior vena cava (Correct answer)
- A segment of the umbilical vein inside the cord
- A vessel connecting the two umbilical arteries
Correct answer: A fetal shunt that directs oxygenated blood from the umbilical vein directly to the inferior vena cava
The ductus venosus shunts about 50% of oxygenated blood from the umbilical vein past the liver directly into the inferior vena cava.
Question 5: Which condition describes a cord insertion at the very edge of the placenta?
- Central insertion
- Marginal (battledore) insertion (Correct answer)
- Furcate insertion
- Velamentous insertion
Correct answer: Marginal (battledore) insertion
Marginal or battledore insertion occurs when the cord attaches at the placental edge, which usually carries minimal clinical risk.
Question 6: Why is delayed cord clamping (DCC) generally NOT practiced when cord blood banking is planned?
- DCC causes Wharton's jelly to harden
- DCC allows blood to return to the newborn, reducing the volume available for collection (Correct answer)
- DCC increases the risk of cord infections
- DCC triggers early placental separation
Correct answer: DCC allows blood to return to the newborn, reducing the volume available for collection
Delayed clamping lets placental blood transfuse back to the newborn, leaving less blood in the cord and placenta for cord blood banking collection.
Question 7: What term describes an abnormally large amount of Wharton's jelly in the umbilical cord?
- Cord edema (Correct answer)
- Jelly belly syndrome
- Cord hydrops
- Funiculus magnus
Correct answer: Cord edema
Cord edema refers to excessive fluid within Wharton's jelly, which can be a sign of fetal hydrops or other conditions.
Cord Blood Umbilical Cord 4
What is umbilical cord prolapse?