MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE UMBILICAL CORD VESSELS AT THE DELIVERY, IN SUDANESE NEONATES

Objective: This study was aim to describe the morphological features of the cord vessels at the birth. Materials and methods: 980 umbilical cords of single birth Sudanese neonates, of normal vaginal deliveries were studied, with mother age ranged between 18 to 45 years and parity from 1 to 8 children. The study was carried out in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Omdurman Maternity Hospital, Sudan, 2017. The cords were cut about 5 centimeters from the baby abdominal wall using scissor; the parts of the cords from the cut end to the placental insertion were dissected using the anatomical dissection tools and method, their blood were delivered from surrounding tissues and studied; the study includes; gross observation of the cord vessels. For general histology, two cm. of cord tissue was studied, using natural historical stains and methods. Special stains, Masson’s Trichrome, Van Gieson and Verhoff’s were used to clarify the connectives tissues within the cord. Results and conclusion: the single umbilical artery were about 1.2%, more common in male, the ratio of male-to-female was about 2:1, and it was found associated with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. the relation between cord vessels after dissection showed that; in same cords arteries and vein were course together in a parallel fashions, vein centrally with arteries peripherally, some showed vein run predominantly straight with arteries coiled around it, while other showed arteries and vein course together in a helical fashion in a one-to-one relationship. Moreover the cord vessels don’t run close each other like the rest of the blood vessels in the body, they were found separated by a wide tissues structure of Wharton’s jelly without branches elements, and the after the umbilical vein was found surrounded by a special sheath. It is concluding that, the highly condensed tissue around the vein, it helps to maintenance the vein and preventing it from occlusion; because the vein is fewer coils and under tensile force of the fetal mobility. Our recommendation that; studding morphological features the cord vessels is significantly important, because their relations play an essential role in fetal intrauterine survival.