What is Umbilical Cord Strangulation?

The umbilical cord is the lifeline between a developing baby and its mother. The length of the average umbilical cord is 22 inches. At one end it is attached to the baby’s abdomen, and at the other end, it is attached the mother’s placenta on the wall of the uterus. The cord contains two arteries and one vein so nutrients can be delivered, via blood, and cellular waste can be eliminated. Most cords coil toward the left, but a few coil to the right or are straight.

During labor, the baby can change positions several times before being born. In some cases, the baby’s neck can become entangled in the coils of the umbilical cord. This is called a nuchal cord, and may occur in 6 and up to 37 percent of deliveries. This situation can be difficult to detect before delivery, and it is usually a self-correcting situation. Even if detected by ultrasound, it has been deemed virtually impossible to determine if it is wound either tightly loosely.

Another type of umbilical cord strangulation occurs when the cord becomes knotted (cord knots), or when the cord becomes crimped (cord stricture). These conditions prevent oxygen and other nutrients from reaching the baby’s body and cause a build-up of carbon dioxide due to the fact that wastes are not being eliminated. True cord knots are rare, occurring in only 1 percent of pregnancies. However, cord stricture is more prevalent and has been found to be responsible for up to 19 percent of fetal deaths.

Treatment for Umbilical Cord Strangulation

Because a nuchal cord situation can be difficult to detect, it is often first detected at the emergence of the head. The usual treatment consists of simply looping the cord back around the neck while the head is in the open and continuing with a normal delivery. If the cord is too tight, it can be clamped and cut before delivery is complete. Recent evidence from medical studies suggests, however, that both of these types of treatments may lead to complications. New data suggests that delivering the baby with the nuchal cord is preferable. In the rare event that this cannot be done, an emergency cesarean may be called for.

Goldberg & Osborne, a personal injury law firm, has provided this article for informational purposes only, written by an independent author, and has not reviewed or edited this article and is not responsible for its content or accuracy.

Negligence
Negligence is the most common basis of compensation claims. If the accident is shown to have come from unsafe working conditions, one can sue his or her employer for negligence. Under workers’ compensation law, employers are liable based on strict liability: as long as safety standards are breached, the company will be considered negligent and will have to pay the damages due.

However, if one is found partially responsible for the accident—for example, he or she wasn’t wearing the recommended safety gear—claims based on negligence may be reduced or even waived. Many insurance companies will try to establish partial fault to reduce the settlement amount, but the victim’s negligence must be clearly proven.

General and special damages
As with most cases of personal injury, damages in construction accidents are usually classified as general or special. General damages refer to compensation for abstract losses, or those that don’t have given monetary values. Examples include physical pain, mental or emotional distress, humiliation, and loss of consortium. In court, these damages are usually determined by the jury based on investigation and expert testimonies.

Special damages, on the other hand, are easier to put in numbers. They include losses whose values can be calculated, such as lost property, medical bills, lost earnings or earning capacity, and transportation fares. Claimants are usually advised to keep receipts and bills in hand throughout the period of the injury to aid in verification.

Intention
While workers’ compensation holds the employer liable regardless of intent, there are rare cases where the accident is shown to be intentional or reckless—the employer knew of the dangers of the task and did not do anything about them. In this case, the victim can file for punitive damages. Unlike general and special damages, punitive damages are not meant to replace losses; rather, they “punish” the negligent employer and discourage them from repeating the offense.

This article is not intended as legal advice.
Learn more about construction accident claims at The Barber Law Firm. Serving clients in the Greater Dallas area.