%0 Journal Article
%T Area of Wharton's jelly as an estimate of the thickness of the umbilical cord and its relationship with estimated fetal weight
%A Cristiane Barbieri
%A Jose G Cecatti
%A Fernanda G Surita
%A Maria L Costa
%A Emilio F Marussi
%A Jose V Costa
%J Reproductive Health
%D 2011
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1742-4755-8-32
%X 2,189 low-risk pregnancies had the area of WJ estimated by ultrasound and the 10th, 50th and 90th percentiles calculated using a third-degree polynomial regression procedure. EFW by ultrasound was correlated with the measurement of the area of WJ.The area of WJ increased according to gestational age (R2 = 0.64), stabilizing from the 32nd week onwards. There was a significant linear correlation between area of WJ and EFW up to 26 weeks (R = 0.782) and after that 5t remained practically constant (R = 0.047).The area of WJ increases according to gestational age, with a trend to stabilize at around 32 weeks of gestation. It is also linearly correlated with EFW only up to 26 weeks of gestation.The umbilical cord is responsible for maternal-fetal blood flow. Normally, it is composed of two arteries permeated with venous blood and a vein that transports arterial blood, cushioned by a special type of mucous connective tissue known as Wharton's jelly (WJ) and by remnants of the allantoids [1].WJ consists of a fundamental amorphous substance containing glycosaminoglycans, proteoglycans and, predominantly, hyaluronic acid. It also contains cells with similar characteristics of smooth muscle ones and that allows its contractile function. These cells constitute an interconnected network of collagen that form canaliculi and perivascular spaces [2,3], permitting adequate blood flow to the fetus in cases of umbilical cord compression during pregnancy or delivery [4].Alterations in the area of WJ have been described in various conditions such as hypertensive disease [5,6], tobacco smoking [6], prematurity and fetal distress during labor [7]. The absence of WJ around vessels of the umbilical cord has been found in cases of perinatal mortality [8], whereas the presence of a large area of WJ has been described in cases of diabetes mellitus [9]. Until recently, data on WJ abnormalities consisted of findings resulting from pathological examinations or case reports [10]. With recent progr
%K ultrasonography
%K pregnancy
%K umbilical cord
%K umbilical vessels
%K Wharton's jelly
%U http://www.reproductive-health-journal.com/content/8/1/32