Outcomes of Pregnancies with Sonographically Detected Nuchal Cords Remote from Delivery

Objective. To evaluate the outcomes of pregnancies with sonographically detected nuchal cords remote from delivery during the second and third trimesters of gestation. Methods. A retrospective study of patients with and without nuchal cords detected by sonography during the second and third trimesters of gestation (17-36 weeks) was conducted. Variables included maternal age, parity, gestational age at sonography and at delivery, method of delivery, intrapartum fetal heart abnormalities, meconium-stained amniotic fluid, birth weight, 5-minute Apgar score, and neonatal intensive care unit admissions. Results. A total of 233 patients were included in this study, of which 118 had sonographically detected nuchal cords identified in our department during the study period. There were no statistically significant differences between patients with sonographically detected nuchal cords and control patients with respect to maternal age, estimated gestational age at sonography, method of delivery, meconium-stained fluid, birth weight, intrapartum fetal heart abnormalities, 5-minute Apgar scores of less than 7, and neonatal intensive care unit admissions. Patients with nuchal cords detected by sonography were more likely to give birth before 37 weeks' gestation than control patients (21% versus 11%; P = .040). Conclusions. A sonographically detected nuchal cord is not associated with important perinatal complications.