The umbilical cord connects a baby in the womb to its mother. It runs from an opening in your baby’s stomach to the placenta in the womb. The average cord is about 50cm (20in) long. The umbilical cord carries oxygen and nutrients from the placenta into your baby’s bloodstream. The umbilical cord is made up of: vein that carries blood rich in oxygen and nutrients from you to your baby, arteries that return deoxygenated blood and waste products, such as carbon dioxide, from your baby back to the placenta. These blood vessels are enclosed and protected by a sticky substance called Wharton’s jelly, which itself is covered by a layer of membrane called the amnion. Towards the end of your pregnancy, the placenta passes antibodies through the umbilical cord from you to your baby. These give your baby immunity from infections for about 3 months after birth.
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Women's Health and Complications 