Mom Takes Photo of Knotted Umbilical Cord After Baby Is Born

Warning: This article contains potentially graphic content

A blogger who live-streamed her labor shared a photo of her baby daughter with a knotted umbilical cord.

Last August, blogger Rebecca Meldrum, 28, of Aberdeen, Scotland, shared the image of her baby’s condition.

She said on Instagram, “I can honestly say I have never ever been through emotions like I have been through these last few days and I’m sure will continue to go through until we are all home together. I don’t think anything could ever prepare you for not being with your baby after labor and delivery, but today I feel like I’ve turned a corner.”

“I’m sure it’s the tonic of skin to skin with Poppy but I’m feeling more confident, more ready to face NICU & want to get involved in any way I can with caring for my baby.”

NICU is the acronym for neonatal intensive care unit.

The child, a girl named Poppy, was born via C-section.

Baby Poppy several weeks after she was born. (Instagram/screenshot)

The photo she shared was of a knotted umbilical cord, which according to the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH), is quite rare. “The incidence of true knot of the umbilical cord is not only very low but it is often undiagnosed antenatally when present despite the availability of prenatal ultrasonography,” it states.

An umbilical knot can be fatal for the child.

Captioning the photo of the cord, Meldrum wrote on Instagram: “This knot was in Poppy’s cord, a ‘True Knot’ which apparently is pretty uncommon, one in 2,000 babies, the midwife said.”

“Just another thing to add to her story.”

(Instagram) The unedited photo can be viewed here. But it is graphic.

“When the true knot remains tight, it may impede the circulation of the fetus and may result to fetal death in utero especially in labor,” states the NIH.

A true knot can occur when a baby moves through the loop of an umbilical cord while inside the uterus. They’re detectable via ultrasound.

(Skin to skin time with Poppy, Instagram)

Dr. Patrick O'Brien, spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), told DailyMail: “The umbilical cord carries oxygen and nutrients from the placenta into the baby’s bloodstream. If the umbilical cord becomes tightly knotted, there will be a reduction in the flow of blood, depriving the baby of oxygen which can lead to permanent brain injury. A problem with the umbilical cord could also cause the baby to be stillborn.”

“Fortunately, a true knot in the cord is very rare, and even when it happens it is rarely so tight that it will harm the baby. Usually the knot is discovered after the birth of a healthy baby.”

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