Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Umbilical cord is a narrow tube-like structure that connects the developing
fetus to the placenta. Placental and umbilical cord conditions have contributed to neonatal
mortality and are an important factor for adverse fetal and maternal outcomes. In Ethiopia
there is lack of data on quantitative measurement of umbilical cord length and its association
with birth outcomes.
OBJECTIVES: To assess factors affecting umbilical cord length and its association with
birth outcomes among deliveries at Jimma Medical Center, Jimma town, Southwest Ethiopia
from October15-November15 2021.
METHODS: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Jimma medical center
among consecutively sampled 257 mothers and newborns. The data was collected by two B.Sc.
midwives, under supervision of Gynecology resident. The length of the umbilical cord was
measured by using non-elastic plastic tape meter. Fetal and maternal outcomes were recorded.
All data were cleaned, coded and entered into EPI data version 4.6 and exported to SPSS
version 23:0 for analysis. Analysis included descriptive statistics, linear and logistic
regression.
RESULTS: A total of 257 mothers and their neonates take part in this study. The mean
umbilical cord length in this study was 56.2 cm. Placental weight (β: 0.012, 95% CI 0.002,
0.021), birthweight (β: 2.173 95% CI 0.96, 3.386).and gestational age (β:-2.56, 95% CI -4.989,
-0.132) were variables that showed statistically significant association with umbilical cord
length in multiple linear regressions. In multiple logistic regression birth outcomes; APGAR
score <7 at 5th minute (AOR=1.249, 95% CI=1.022, 1.526), Retained placenta (AOR=0.878,
95% CI=0.794, 0.971) and still birth (AOR=0.776, 95% CI=0.669, 0.899) were associated
with umbilical cord length.
