Nuchal Cords: Innocent or Guilty?

Nuchal cord (NC) is common, and the vast majority of term deliveries with nuchal cord have normal outcomes. However, nuchal cord associated fetal morbidity is closely correlated to the number on nuchal cords present and the degree of “strangulation”/tightness. Even Hippocrates noted that nuchal cords could be associated with fetal loss in one of his writings, circa 370 BC. In this session, we will review data from the ACOG executive statement on neonatal encephalopathy, as well as a literature review on NCs by Peesay (2017) from the Journal of Maternal Health, Neonatology, and Perinatology.