Before proceeding to know the meaning of the term umbilical cord, it is necessary to discover the etymological origin of the two words that give it its shape:
-Cordón, first of all, comes from the French “cordon”, which in turn derives from the Latin “chorda” and this from the Greek “khorde” which means “string of the intestine”.
-Umbilical, secondly, we have to explain that it comes from the Latin word “umbilicaris”, which can be translated as “related to the navel”. It is the result of the sum of two clearly delimited components: the noun “umbilicus”, which is synonymous with “navel”, and the suffix “-al”, which is used to indicate “relative to”.
The series of vessels that link the belly of a gestating baby with the placenta of its mother is called the umbilical cord , allowing the nutrition of the fetus until the time of birth arrives.
A cord is a rope or strip. Umbilical , for its part, refers to that linked to the navel : the scar formed on the belly when the umbilical cord is cut and dried.
Placental mammalian animals have this cord that makes it possible to feed the growing fetus. The umbilical vein and the umbilical arteries - protected by the so-called Wharton's jelly - are the vessels that allow the exchange of blood and substances that develops between the placenta and the embryo. Once delivery occurs, the umbilical cord must be cut and the navel is created.
In humans , the umbilical cord usually has a diameter of between one and two centimeters and an extension of just over fifty centimeters. The structure of the cord is helical.
It is important to note that the cells found in umbilical cord blood can help cure various diseases. That is why there are umbilical cord blood banks that are responsible for storing these stem cells.
There are various disorders linked to the umbilical cord that can put the life of the baby and the mother at risk. The cord may wrap around the fetus, lack some of the arteries, become knotted, or have its vessels separate before reaching the placenta. The cord, on the other hand, can emerge through the birth canal before the fetus.
In addition to all of the above, it is worth knowing another series of curious aspects about the umbilical cord, such as the following:
-Stem cells from the aforementioned cord blood have been used to cure diseases since the 1980s.
-Currently there are companies that are responsible for making all types of necklaces and bracelets from the umbilical cord. In this way they allow fathers and mothers to carry with them a memory of the birth of their children.
-When the baby is born, the umbilical cord is cut approximately 3 or 4 centimeters from the baby's tummy. This process is not painful for either the mother or her child because the aforementioned cord does not have nerves.
-As a general rule, the cord stump will fall off on its own between 5 and 15 days after the baby is born.