Question 1

what happens to the veins or arteries in the umbilical cord that were connected to the baby (the baby's end)?

Accepted Answer

Not needed any more!: The two arteries and vein that are in the cord, as well as the supporting gelatinous-like substance that surrounds those vessels, pretty much just 'shrivel up'. (in the womb, they carried blood to and from the placenta.) it isn't unusual to see a very small amount of blood as the dried stump of the cord separates, and even a few days after that, but there shouldn't be any other kind of discharge.

Question 2

can blood stored from a newborn umbilical cord be used in a blood transfusion for his cousin?

Accepted Answer

Not rally: Cord blood is kept for the aquisition of stem cells. It is easy to find matching packed rbcs from the general pool for his cousin.

Question 3

after delivering baby: doctor cut the umbilical cord against my wishes and she took the cord blood without explanation. why did she rush to take it?

Accepted Answer

Cord  blood: There could be several reasons for taking your cord blood. She may want to check for jaundice, infection or may have been for newborn metabolic screen done on all babies.

Question 4

how can i tell if the umbilical cord is infected? my baby is 11 days old 
it's dry outside but inside look a little watery n yellow w blood no odor.

Accepted Answer

Redness/swelling: If the skin surrounding the site is red ,thickened or swollen, it is likely infected &amp; needs to be seen immediately.Odd smells or drainage is not unusual when the cord is finally separating from the stump.Rinsing the area with rubbing alcohol can help it dry faster &amp; finish healing. If concerned, call the doc's office.

Question 5

what are the benefits if i bank my baby's umbilical cord blood?

Accepted Answer

Comfort: With advances in technology your newborns cord blood can be stored as a hedge against future needs.Stem cells from the cord blood could be used in the future as part of a treatment for such devistating illnesses as leukemia.Future research may allow us to use them to help build spare parts. Some parents do for personal use.Some hospitals collect them for a stem  cell bank that might help others.

Question 6

how safe is mismatched umbilical cord blood transfusion?

Accepted Answer

Depends: Infants usually do not react adversely to mismatched blood immediately. How did the infant get this mismatched cord blood? In some countries where there is no immediate source of blood, there is something called 'walking donor'-which has saved many a life. While I am not concerned, the blood bank can tell you prior to the next transfusion if there are any antibodies produced from such a case.

Question 7

how do the stem cells from umbilical cord blood stem cells differ from umbilical cord?

Accepted Answer

They are the same: You drain blood from umblical cord and collect cd34 + cells for transplant.

Question 8

there's blood around her belly button. she is 9 days old and her umbilical cord has not fallen off yet. is this normal?

Accepted Answer

Umbilical cords: will typically drop off within 2 weeks after birth.  Bleeding from the cord can indicate that this process is about to occur, while redness/discharge/odor is never normal.  Delayed cord drop used to be seen with hypothyroidism, but this rarely occurs due to early detection and intervention with newborn screens.

Question 9

my baby's umbilical cord has dried blood around it and looks grayish and fleshy underneath. is this an infection? it has a slight odor

Accepted Answer

Probably not: A bit of blood and odor is normal along with the color you describe.Usually with infection there is bright red, hot skin around the cord that a quarter would fit over. But checking with the pediatrician would make sure.

Question 10

19 wk preg ultrasound showed widened umbilical cord inside baby. normal blood flow. check again in 6 wks. prognosis? dr says prob fine but so worried

Accepted Answer

Sit tight: We have more information than we know what to do with.  Many of the variants seen on ultrasound are non-specific and topics for academic discussion.  Take a deep breath and try to enjoy your pregnancy.

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Doctor answers about:

Blood vessels in the umbilical cord

A member asked:

What happens to the veins or arteries in the umbilical cord that were connected to the baby (the baby's end)?

A member asked:

Can blood stored from a newborn umbilical cord be used in a blood transfusion for his cousin?

A member asked:

After delivering baby: doctor cut the umbilical cord against my wishes and she took the cord blood without explanation. why did she rush to take it?

A member asked:

How can i tell if the umbilical cord is infected? my baby is 11 days old it's dry outside but inside look a little watery n yellow w blood no odor.

A member asked:

What are the benefits if i bank my baby's umbilical cord blood?

A member asked:

How safe is mismatched umbilical cord blood transfusion?

A member asked:

How do the stem cells from umbilical cord blood stem cells differ from umbilical cord?

A member asked:

There's blood around her belly button. she is 9 days old and her umbilical cord has not fallen off yet. is this normal?

A member asked:

My baby's umbilical cord has dried blood around it and looks grayish and fleshy underneath. is this an infection? it has a slight odor

A member asked:

19 wk preg ultrasound showed widened umbilical cord inside baby. normal blood flow. check again in 6 wks. prognosis? dr says prob fine but so worried

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