Knotted umbilical cord didn't stop a baby's healthy birth

Pregnancy is often described as a miracle, but a young couple was recently reminded that something could go wrong at any time.

The couple, who have chosen to remain anonymous, shared their story on social media after welcoming their baby into the world in 2017.

As reported by So Share This, the baby's umbilical cord had a true knot in it, and the doctor told the father to take a photo because his baby's birth was a miracle.

The umbilical cord provides nutrients to the baby while in the womb and gets rid of waste. A knot could prevent the baby from developing properly, or could even prove to be fatal.

In some cases, a lively baby might disturb the cord, or it could wrap around the baby's neck or body. There are even recorded cases where the umbilical cord was not connected at all.

According to the website, Birth Injury Safety, two types of knots could form in the umbilical cord: a false knot, also known as a pseudoknot, and a true knot.

Doctors might assume that there's a knot in the cord when they see a bulge or protuberance on the ultrasound. In most cases, it's just a slight variation in the cord's anatomy.

The knot cannot be 'untied,' because the 'formation is inside the cord, not outside,' and are either swollen blood vessels or 'an excessive covering of Wharton's jelly.'

True knots are a different matter and occur when the cord interweaves around itself. This could either happen while the baby is developing or during birth.

While it could prove to be fatal, true knots only occur in less than 2 percent of all pregnancies. If the knots develops later in pregnancy, or during the birth, the complications aren't as severe.

Knots that form early during the pregnancy could prevent the baby from moving. It could also stop the flow of blood and oxygen to the baby, and lead to asphyxia, brain damage or death.