When a baby is born, the umbilical cord is usually clamped and cut. This is because the umbilical cord is no longer needed once the baby is born. The umbilical cord is a tube that connects the baby to the placenta. The placenta is a organ that provides the baby with food and oxygen through the blood.
The umbilical cord is usually about 50cm long and is made up of three blood vessels; the two umbilical arteries and the one umbilical vein. These vessels are surrounded by a thin layer of connective tissue called Wharton's jelly. The umbilical cord is inserted into the baby's abdomen through the navel (belly button).
The umbilical cord can be classified into two types; true cord and false cord. A true cord is when all three blood vessels (two arteries and one vein) are contained within one connective tissue sheath. A false cord is when the two arteries are contained within one connective tissue sheath and the vein is contained within another connective tissue sheath.
A straight umbilical cord is when the umbilical cord is not wrapped around the baby's body. This is the most common type of umbilical cord. A looped umbilical cord is when the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby's body. This can happen if the baby is in a breech position (bottom first),